Depression is a common condition affecting about 16 million Americans every year. It can severely impact your life by interfering with your sleeping, eating, or working as well as with personal relationships.
Depression is a complex mental health condition and one that can be challenging to alleviate. Fortunately, most people eventually find the right treatment combination to relieve their depressions symptoms. But about a third don’t respond to any treatment or treatment combination.
If you or a loved one haven’t found your depression lifted after trying a multitude of treatment options, your condition is considered treatment-resistant. Fortunately, ketamine infusion therapy can help those with treatment-resistant depression.
Ketamine is a medication that has long been used in hospitals to help relieve pain or prevent pain during surgery or a procedure. In recent years, the medical community has found that in low doses, ketamine can be an effective treatment for hard-to-treat depression.
Not only has ketamine been found to be an effective treatment for depression, but it is also a fast-acting treatment. With other antidepressant medications, you must use the medicine for several weeks before it takes effect. People report feeling better within a few hours after their ketamine treatment.
Ketamine infusion therapy may also help people with anxiety, PTSD, or chronic pain that doesn’t respond to other treatments.
The first step in preparing for ketamine treatment is a consultation with a specialist like Dr. M Rameen Ghorieshi at Palo Alto Mind Body. Dr. Ghorieshi reviews your medical history, your past treatments, and any current medications you’re on to determine if you are a good candidate for ketamine treatments.
If you are a candidate for ketamine treatment, we schedule your treatment and recommend these guidelines to help you prepare:
You sit for a while during your ketamine infusion. It’s best not to be overtired or stressed so that you can relax during your treatment.
You can’t eat or drink anything six hours before your treatment. The treatment itself may cause nausea or vomiting, so it’s important not to have anything in your stomach.
The treatment takes about 90 minutes from start to finish. Ketamine can have a sedating effect. Since you sit in the office for some time in a relaxed state, you shouldn’t wear any binding or uncomfortable clothing.
After the treatment, you should not drive for the rest of the day, so ask a friend or family member to accompany you to your treatment and drive you home.
Following ketamine treatment, most people start to feel benefits within a few hours. For optimal results, Dr. Ghorieshi typically recommends six to seven infusions within two weeks as part of the initial phase of the treatment. Booster treatments may help following the initial treatment sessions.
For more information about ketamine therapy and to learn if it’s the right treatment for you, call Palo Alto Mind Body in Palo Alto, California, or make an appointment online through this website.
