Ketamine (pronounced KET-a-mean) has been used for decades by anesthesiologists for a general anesthetic, as well as to sedate patients for surgical procedures; however, since the early 1990s, an increased number of physicians use ketamine to treat individuals with chronic pain syndromes such as Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS or RSD), fibromyalgia and Lyme disease. It has also been used to successfully treat severe depression, bipolar disorder and PTSD when other traditional medications for these disorders have proven ineffective.
Ketamine therapy is the use of ketamine in a controlled environment over a series of sessions. Ketamine is administered either intravenously (through an IV) or intranasal (in a mist that is sprayed into the nose).
During the initial phase of ketamine therapy, sessions will generally be scheduled for five consecutive days. The response will then be evaluated and decided whether continuing therapy is warranted or not.
The way ketamine works to relieve the symptoms of chronic pain and depressive disorders is not completely understood by physicians or scientists, but they are profound, nonetheless. Patients who have tried multiple medications for chronic pain without relief have found that ketamine therapy is an effective treatment.
The side effects of the infusions are minimal and disappear within minutes or hours of treatment. While patients are restricted from driving and doing anything strenuous for the remainder of their infusion day, they can resume normal activities the following day.
Thirty to forty percent of patients suffering from severe depressive disorders do not get better or fully recover with standard antidepressants. The side effects of medications used for depression can create an entirely new set of problems. Ketamine therapy is different and has provided people with lasting results.
If you have questions about whether ketamine therapy might be right for you or your loved one, please contact us. We are here to help you relieve your pain and suffering.