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Ketamine is a medicine that has been legally used for anesthesia and analgesic for over 50 years. The FDA approved it as an anesthetic in 1970. It is now increasingly applied clinically as an off-label treatment for various treatment-resistant mental health conditions, such as depression, anxiety, PTSD, substance dependencies, and other psychiatric diagnoses.
Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy is a medication facilitated psychotherapy involving medical and psychological components. We believe that ketamine administration is most effective when combined with psychotherapy. The KAP protocol varies depending on the problems being treated. During the initial intake, we evaluate your current problems and needs, go over your medical and psychiatric history, and address any questions or concerns you may have. By the end of the evaluation period, we will offer you your clinical impressions and recommendations.
Unless you work with a psychotherapist specially trained in ketamine assisted psychotherapy (either your own psychotherapist or our in house psychotherapist), you will be prescribed a low dose keatmine which can be combined with traditional psychotherapy sessions. This approach is often referred to as psycholitic approach among practitioners. This approach sees keatmine not only as an antidepressant but also as a catalyst for unlocking deeper and more impactful therapy sessions. Rather than being overwhelmed by a mystical experience, subjects in psycholytic therapy feel the effects of the medicine but retain more control of their thoughts and emotions, allowing for a more expanded but still manageable dialogue with themselves and their therapist. More simply put, you will not dissociate during the sessions but you will feel relaxed and more open minded. After the session, you typically start to notice that you are experiencing, feeling, and acting differently in a few weeks.
For the first session, you should start with a half of the troche. Keep it inside your mouth for 10 minutes, and split it out. If you feel little effect of it after a few minutes, you can take the rest half in the same manner. For the first two sessions, you should assign a support person who can help you with simple tasks such as helping you to go to the bathroom or getting a glass of water.When you go deeper in the experience, the support person can keep you feel grounded.
Ketamine is a non-competitive N-methyl-D-aspartate(NMDA) receptor antagonist. Although the exact mechanism of how ketamine works for patients with depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions is not fully understood, scientific researches suggest that it enhances excitatory (glutamatergic) neurotransmission and also increases protein synthesis. The initial postsynaptic glutamate activation leads to up-regulation of neurotrophic signaling and increased protein synthesis. The blocking of the NMDA receptor produces an initial antidepressant reaction, and the synthesized protein is responsible for prolonging the duration of the effects.
People who undergo ketamine therapy may experience positive changes in mood and cognition during the treatment and also culmiratively over few weeks as they repeat the dosings. There is the optimal dosing for everyone with oral ketamine. We may or may not need a few dosing adjustments to get there.
Ketamine is a Schedule lll controlled substance under the Controlled Substance Act of 1970. Medical evidence regarding the issue of drug abuse and dependence suggests that ketamine has a low risk for addiction. Ketamine can have effects on mood, cognition, and perception that may make some people want to use it repeatedly. Ketamine has been known to be a drug of abuse in recreational settings. However, in clinical practice, given the limited access, psychoeducation of responsible use, and close monitoring, the problem with the abuse of ketamine is rarely seen. Because of its potential for abuse or psychological addiction, ketamine should never be used except under the direct supervision of a licensed physician.
You may have impaired sense of balance and coordination during the ketamine administration. You may fall asleep although this happens rarely. Other possible adverse effects include blurred vision, slurred speech, mental confusion, excitability, diminished ability to see, feel, or feel things that are actually present, anxiety, nausea, and vomiting. Ketamine generally causes a significant but not dangerous increase in blood pressure and sometime in heart rate. In terms of psychological risk, ketamine has been shown to worsen certain psychotic symptoms in people who suffer from schizophrenia or other serious mental disorders. During the experience itself, some people have reported frightening and unusual experiences. This is part of the therapeutic process and they will stop. You will receive psychotherapeutic help and ongoing guidance from your therapist.
Ketamine therapy may be for you if you struggle with depression,anxiety, and PTSD desipte medication treatment, psychohterpay, and/or self-care. Many who have not found relief from traditional treatments for these disorders often benefit from ketamine therapy. This treatment may be for you if the current treatments are not working for you.
An initial medical appointment is scheduled for 40 minutes and a follow up appointment is for 30 minutes. You can also book a doctor for quick check-ins for free which are for 15 minutes.
We recommend not eating for 4 hours and not drinking for 2 hours before a ketamien dosing session. This will minimize the risk of nausea or vomiting.
No. We provide ketamine therapy with oral ketamine. The compounding pharmacies we partner with ship the medication to your home.
No. We are a team of physicians and psychotherapists who provide ketamine therapy for patients with mental health conditions. Patients who need care for pain control should be seen by a doctor specializes in pain management.
