Suppose you suffer from major depression, anxiety, chronic migraines, or bipolar disorder. In that case, you know how difficult it is to find an effective treatment. There are not many effective treatments for such severe conditions that provide quick relief with no unwanted side-effects.
We understand that regular therapy sessions and antidepressants aren’t usually the most effective option. That’s why we’ll address ketamine infusion therapy in this guide. This treatment provides innovative and evidence-based solutions to your problems, specifically for those who are affected by treatment-resistant depression (TRD).
Ketamine has a somewhat checkered history of being useful as well as dangerous, depending on the purpose it is used. It was commonly known as a club drug or “Special K’. Mainly because of its hallucinogenic and tranquilizing effects at high doses. However, it has shown promising results in treating severe depression in recent years. Ketamine was first used as an anesthetic and quick pain reliever for soldiers on the battlefield. Now, doctors can treat people with drug-resistant depression with the help of ketamine infusion therapy. This treatment is highly effective and safe for treating such severe conditions when appropriately administered by medical professionals.
So, let’s examine what ketamine infusion therapy exactly is, its advantages and drawbacks.
What is Ketamine Infusion Therapy?
For more than five decades, ketamine has been widely used as an FDA-approved anesthetic around the world. It also has rapid-action antidepressant properties that are under research by mental health experts.
Although ketamine isn’t the first choice when treating depression, chronic pain, or any other mental health condition, it can be used to treat severe anxiety, depression, PTSD, and OCD that are beyond to treat with conventional therapies or medications.
In fact, ketamine has been titled as the most significant breakthrough in the treatment of major depression. Mainly because of its quick and long-lasting relief outcomes. When administered through an intravenous (IV) line, it produces calming and therapeutic effects on your brain’s nerve cells that control behavior and mood.
Typically, a series of six infusion sessions for 2-3 weeks are given to patients. This is called the induction phase. The maintenance phase begins right after the induction phase. During this phase, patients typically visit for one infusion every 2-6 weeks. It is essential to note that ketamine infusions are neither for children nor for those patients with high blood pressure, fast heart rate, or seizures.
Ketamine Advantages
Sadly, depression is the leading cause of disability and the condition that develops suicidal tendencies. However, for people with persistent PTSD, OCD, severe anxiety, chronic pain, and treatment-resistant depression, Ketamine infusion therapy offers multiple vital benefits, including:
- Fast-acting symptom relief
- Lasting symptom remission
- High success rate
You may also be interested in “What is ketamine infusion used for?”
Ketamine Infusion Drawbacks
Even though ketamine offers several significant benefits in treating such severe conditions, there are some drawbacks. The main disadvantages of ketamine are related to its potentially addictive properties and dissociative effects. Some temporary side-effects of ketamine infusion therapy are floating sensations, dizziness, blur vision, and mild hallucinations.
