What is a ketamine infusion?
Ketamine is a powerful drug with pain-relieving and sedative properties. While it has been used in surgical settings for decades, current research shows it can relieve several chronic pain and mental health conditions.
A ketamine infusion uses a much lower dose of the medicine than anesthesiologists use during surgery. The team at Sal Psychiatric Services administers the medication via a supervised IV infusion while you relax in a comfortable chair.
What conditions can improve with ketamine infusions?
The team at Sal Psychiatric Services provides ketamine infusion therapy to address several mental health and chronic pain conditions, including:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
- Chronic pain
- Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS)
- Migraines
Research reveals new potential uses for ketamine all the time. While ketamine isn’t a first-line approach for mental health or pain conditions, it’s becoming a more common treatment because of its rapid results and limited side effects.
What happens during ketamine infusion?
Ketamine infusion is usually a relaxing experience. While you rest in a comfortable chair, your provider prepares your infusion and inserts your IV.
Depending on your condition, your infusion could last for a few hours. Your provider stays with you throughout your entire treatment, checking your vital signs at five-minute intervals to ensure your comfort and safety.
Some patients experience floating or “out-of-body” sensations during their infusion. Others might have mild hallucinations. Any side effects usually subside soon after your infusion is complete. However, the treatment leaves you tired, much like having a sedative for outpatient surgery or a dental procedure, so you need someone to drive you home.
How do I know if ketamine is right for me?
The team at Sal Psychiatric Services provides comprehensive consultations to determine if ketamine therapy is right for you.
While ketamine treatment is proving extremely effective, it’s not currently a first-line approach; instead, it's only used when you have tried other therapies without relief. Your provider screens for other risk factors, such as a history of psychosis, before prescribing ketamine therapy.
If you have a mental health condition that hasn’t improved with conventional treatments, call Sal Psychiatric Services or make an appointment online today to find out if ketamine infusion therapy is right for you.
