IV Ketamine Infusions
Intravenous (IV) Ketamine infusions are very successful in treating patients suffering from depression, bipolar depression, postpartum depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), generalized anxiety, fibromyalgia, and chronic pain syndromes like complex regional pain syndrome.
Researchers don’t know exactly how ketamine works to treat depression, but they have some ideas. Unlike antidepressants, which work by shifting the balance of brain chemicals like serotonin and dopamine, ketamine is thought to change the way brain cells communicate with each other. “If you think of it in terms of a computer, what ketamine does is a hardware fix — not like antidepressants, which are like a software fix,” says Glen Brooks, MD, an anesthesiologist and medical director of NY Ketamine Infusions.
Ketamine blocks a type of receptor in the brain, known as NMDA, thought to play a role in depression. Recent studies find that ketamine can have long-lasting effects on depression, even though the drug only stays in the body a short time.
Get PointKetamine’s stories in your inbox
Join Medium for free to get updates from this writer.
Ketamine also acts on other brain receptors — like opioid receptors, which affect pain and depression. “I think it is the ability of ketamine to not just hit one target like NMDA, but also to hit other receptors that create its unique effect,” says Ruben Abagyan, PhD, a professor at the UC San Diego Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences who has studied the use of ketamine for depression.
A Ketamine session usually lasts 45 min to an hour, where Ketamine is infused. This is monitored by a physician and the good news is that if there are any side effects the infusion can be stopped, and the effects reversed. The treatment usually involves a series of infusions over a 6-week period, followed by monthly maintenance.
The amazing thing about Ketamine is that the results are immediate. Patients see their symptoms disappear after an infusion. This is an important thing as its important for patients to know how it feels to be without symptoms. Many chronic depression or pain sufferers do not have a perspective on how it feels without being depressed or in pain.
Some patients find that once they are on the monthly maintenance they are able to greatly cut down on their anti-depressants. Some patients do relapse and it is important that during this process you keep up with or include supportive therapies for your depression or pain like, eating healthy, psychotherapy, meditation etc.
In conclusion, Ketamine is a cutting edge new treatment and could be considered in patients with refractory disease or pain. To learn more about ketamine Iv infusion in Los Angeles, Agoura Hills, Malibu, and beyond, you can visit https://pointketamine.com/ .
