IV Ketamine Therapy: Changing the Landscape of Depression Treatment
Not finding relief from existing depression treatments such as medications, TMS, or psychotherapy? Ketamine Infusion Therapy (KIT) may be a potential treatment option for you to explore. Ketamine IV therapy is effective for patients struggling with a number of psychiatric conditions, including Treatment-Resistant Depression (TRD), Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), anxiety disorders, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), and suicidal ideation.
Mindful Health Solutions is here to guide you on the path to depression relief. Our clinicians specialize in IV ketamine for depression, with ketamine treatment plans customized to your specific mental health needs.
Trusted Experts in IV Ketamine Therapy
Mindful Health Solutions specializes in cutting-edge interventional psychiatry treatments, including Ketamine Infusion Therapy for treatment-resistant depression. Led by Chief Medical Officer Dr. Toby Marton and Associate Chief of Training and Innovation Dr. Alvin Lau, our team has extensive experience and expertise in ketamine infusion treatment plans, transforming hundreds of lives and publishing vital research in top medical journals.
We provide IV ketamine infusion treatments in a relaxed outpatient setting, ensuring safety and minimal side effects. Our goal is to help you find relief from the debilitating symptoms of depression, rediscover joy, and improve your quality of life. Trust us for safe, effective ketamine therapy on your journey to mental wellness.
Find Ketamine Infusion Therapy Near You
Antidepressants Aren’t Always the Answer
1 in 3
people struggling with depression have Treatment-Resistant Depression (TRD), meaning they don’t respond to medications.
Recovery
with with Ketamine Infusion Therapy is 2.5x more likely for patients who failed 2+ medications
What does ketamine infusion therapy treat?
People who are currently struggling with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and haven’t found success or have experienced adverse side effects from at least two different antidepressant treatments may have Treatment-Resistant Depression (TRD). Clinical studies show that ketamine infusion therapy can effectively treat MDD and TRD with a success rate as high as 70%. Many patients show rapid improvement after just their first or second IV ketamine infusion.
of patients show improvement in depression symptoms.
of patients experience complete resolution of their depression.
of patients with suicidal ideation are resolved of suicidality within 3 days of treatment.
A Note on Drug Abuse
Ketamine is also a drug of abuse. It’s known as “Special K” on the streets and it’s the number one club drug in some Asian countries. Although it’s not common for patients receiving controlled ketamine administrations for the treatment of depression to turn into ketamine abusers, we have to be careful about regulating the drug so that it doesn’t end up in the hands of people who don’t need it.
Why Mindful Health Solutions for Ketamine IV Therapy?
Ketamine therapy is a novel treatment for clinical depression; not all clinics can provide the same expert and safe medical care as we can at Mindful Health Solutions. Our ketamine clinics are run by expert clinicians in the field; they have years of expertise using ketamine infusion therapy to treat mental illness and have conducted and published peer-reviewed research on ketamine in top medical journals. You can trust that they will only recommend ketamine infusion therapy as a treatment option if it is safe and they believe it will help you finally experience the relief from mental illness that you deserve.
At Mindful Health Solutions, we understand the importance of patient-centered care and understand that one size does not fit all when it comes to mental health treatment. This is why we pride ourselves on offering cutting-edge alternative interventional therapies such as TMS, Intranasal Esketamine (Spravato), and ketamine infusion therapy, alongside standard treatment options such as medications and psychotherapy.
Mindful Health Solutions also wants to make treatment comfortable and accessible. If patients are unable to physically come into the office for consultation or prefer a virtual appointment, Mindful Health Solutions offers telepsychiatry. We also foster a strong culture of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Our clinicians and therapists strive to embody a sense of awareness, respect, and humility with regard to cultural differences. And last but not least, we accept most major insurances.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you feel during treatment?
Ketamine infusions are often described as an “out-of-body experience.” Patients may experience dissociation, often reported as a pleasant feeling that relieves symptoms of depression. Dissociation can include:
- Feeling detached from your body
- Having a distorted perception of time and space
- Experiencing altered perceptions and sensations
- Entering a dream-like state where thoughts may become distorted
- Emotional detachment
Some individuals describe a sense of mental clarity or expanded consciousness.
How effective is IV ketamine therapy?
Clinical studies show that ketamine infusion therapy can effectively treat MDD and TRD with a success rate as high as 70%. Many patients show rapid improvement after just their first or second infusion.
How are ketamine infusions administered?
Ketamine Infusion Therapy treatments are administered in one of our certified treatment clinics. The session will begin by getting the patient situated in a comfortable chair and your clinician will get you settled with the IV. Your clinician will inform you when the IV has started. The infusion lasts 40 minutes and the entire session takes about 90 minutes to complete.
What does a ketamine therapy session look like?
IV ketamine therapy is an office-based, outpatient procedure. The ketamine infusion lasts 40 minutes and the entire session takes about 90 minutes to complete. The session process will begin by getting you situated in a comfortable chair. Then, your clinician will inform you when the IV has started.
The first thing you will feel is a sense of relaxation of mind and/or body. You may then begin to feel slightly light or light-headed. Some people report a sense of feeling a slight warmth. Eventually, you may feel even lighter, almost a slight separation between yourself and your body. Your hands and legs may feel far away. Some people progressively feel more separation between themselves and the different components of consciousness (e.g., their thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and perception). Occasionally, people continue to progressively experience an even greater physical sensation of lightness – sometimes to the point of feeling above the room. Patients generally tolerate these sensations very well, reporting the experience as “spiritual” or “pleasurable.”
If someone is struggling with depression, anxiety, or rumination, this point is when they feel much less of and/or distant from these feelings. This experience is frequently described as an immense relief – like the blanket of depression has been temporarily lifted. This experience can also serve as a very hopeful reminder to patients that depression or anxiety does not define them. These conditions are separate from them, and as such, they can be temporary.
In rare cases, patients may have a more negative experience after receiving a ketamine intravenous injection. We have psychiatric professionals on-site to help manage these rare events, which are generally brief and usually resolve completely within 10-15 minutes after stopping the infusion.
Are there any side effects of ketamine?
The most common side effects of ketamine usually only occur up to two hours after the ketamine infusion has been administered. To help ensure the safety of patients, there is a two-hour window of supervision at the clinic following the administration before patients can leave and head home. Although you may not experience any of these IV ketamine side effects, the most include:
- Double vision
- Loss of appetite
- Dream-like state
- Nausea
- Elevated blood pressure
- Trouble speaking
- Slight pain at the injection site
- Dissociation or feeling strange/loopy
How much does it cost?
With the exception of Kaiser insurance, Ketamine Infusion Therapy (KIT) is not eligible for insurance reimbursement at this time. Ketamine Infusion Therapy (KIT) for depression or other psychiatric indications is $600 per treatment.
Initial ketamine infusion therapy consists of 6 IV ketamine treatments over the course of 3 weeks. The details of this protocol are discussed in detail during the initial evaluation. Infusion appointments generally take 90–120 minutes. If the symptoms are successfully controlled with these initial treatments, then follow-up evaluations will be conducted to determine long-term treatment plans.
Maintenance treatments usually consist of one infusion every 2-4 weeks.