About IV Ketamine
What is ketamine?
Ketamine is an anesthetic medication and pain reliever that has been used during surgery for many decades. In this role, it’s so common and safe that it’s often recommended for pediatric surgeries. When used as an anesthetic in this way, ketamine is administered in high doses.
In recent years, however, ketamine has been clinically shown to be effective in treating certain mental health and chronic pain disorders. To treat these issues, ketamine is administered in low doses using an intravenous process in a medical office setting.
These low-dose treatments effectively relieve pain and help to balance brain chemicals associated with mental health disorders. Research has shown ketamine administered in this way to be exceptionally effective for depression, and now emerging studies show it may be just as beneficial for quick relief of anxiety even in patients whose anxiety didn’t respond to other medications.
How is Ketamine administered in psychiatry?
Low-dose ketamine may be administered in several ways: oral, sublingual (under your tongue), intranasal, rectal, intramuscular injection, and intravenous (aka IV) infusion. However, not all methods achieve the same success. Dr. Ghorieshi offers intravenous infusions which have been shown to deliver the highest, most optimal results.
Why is IV Ketamine so effective?
When you get an IV Ketamine infusion, 100% of the medication is introduced into your bloodstream. Unfortunately, other methods are unreliable and yield a much lower bioavailability or absorption into your blood.
For example, oral absorption can be as low as 16% and nasal spray as low as 8%, while sublingual and intramuscular administration can vary widely often have inconsistent and unsuccessful results. The slow, consistent, and controlled delivery of IV Ketamine has been shown to be far more beneficial and successful than all other methods.
How does ketamine provide relief?
In addition to being safe, ketamine is fast acting. It quickly balances the activity of a neurotransmitter called glutamate, which in turn lessens the symptoms of mental health disorders such as depression. Our holistic approach combines the ketamine treatment with other treatments to ensure a comprehensive and personalized approach to mental health and well-being.
How quickly does ketamine work?
Following an IV infusion of ketamine, most patients see an improvement within hours. By comparison, commonly used antidepressants such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors take weeks to produce symptom relief.
Where should I go to get my ketamine treatment?
We believe strongly that a psychiatric clinic is the best treatment setting. IV Ketamine treatments are administered under the direct supervision of a medical doctor and the supporting medical staff. It is highly recommended to only receive ketamine treatments at a facility managed by a psychiatrist that is a trained expert in mental health and authorized to manage medications for mental health issues.
Some clinics that offer ketamine infusions are managed by other types of medical professionals who are not mental health experts. Palo Alto Mind Body is managed by Dr. M Rameen Ghorieshi, who holds dual board certifications in psychiatry. He is supported by a team of highly trained and experienced providers that specialize in ketamine infusion treatments.