Are Ketamine Infusions Safe?
Feb 05, 2024
Since its discovery in 1960 and its FDA approval for human use in 1970, ketamine has been a powerful medical tool. It was first used as an anesthetic in operating rooms but was also later misused due to its dissociative and hallucinogenic properties.
However, in more recent years, ketamine has been found to have a powerful effect on those struggling with severe mental illness, especially treatment-resistant depression. As more research pours in on its efficacy, more and more people are turning to ketamine as a treatment method for mental health disorders.
At Greenwich Avenue Psychiatry in Greenwich, Connecticut, our team of psychiatrists and therapists offers ketamine infusions to go along with other mental illness treatments such as antidepressants and talk therapy (psychotherapy).
In this blog, we review what you need to know about this transformative treatment method, including its safety.
When you have a mental health disorder such as depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), bipolar disorder, or obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), the first lines of treatment are typically medication (usually “off-label” antidepressants) and/or psychotherapy.
However, the unfortunate reality for up to 60% of people with mental illness is that first lines of treatment are simply ineffective. This can be extremely frustrating when you’re dealing with serious symptoms such as panic attacks or thoughts of harming yourself or others.
This is where ketamine comes in. It’s been shown to effectively reduce symptoms of even severe cases of mental illnesses such as the ones listed above.
At Greenwich Avenue Psychiatry, we offer ketamine in the form of intravenous infusions and a nasal spray.
When you receive ketamine, it works by boosting the amount of glutamate in your brain. Glutamate is an important neurotransmitter that works to form new connections throughout your brain and repair any connections that are damaged. When you have optimal glutamate levels, your brain is more adaptable.
Many mental health issues can be explained by abnormal levels of glutamate. This is what can lead to problems with mood regulation along with undesirable thought patterns and behaviors. By boosting your glutamate, your brain can start making new pathways, which can lead to improved mood and positive behaviors.
One of the biggest benefits of ketamine is that it works almost instantaneously. This is extremely helpful, since most antidepressants take at least 4-6 weeks to start having an effect, if they even help at all. Those struggling with a mental illness that takes a considerable toll on their daily lives don’t have the luxury of waiting such a long time to determine if the medication will be at all effective.
Studies tell us that ketamine provides depression relief for 85% of patients without relapse, and most of those who did relapse didn’t have a resurgence in symptoms for at least three months after receiving treatment.
Another benefit of ketamine is that it’s incredibly safe as long as it’s only used under medical supervision. Plenty of research has been done on how much ketamine is needed for positive results without causing adverse side effects.
If you’d like to learn more about ketamine infusions, call our office at 888-334-2500, or schedule an appointment online.