Are you new to the whole idea of Ketamine IV?
Are you looking to find more evidence-based research on how it can help with your Treatment-Resistant Depression, Chronic Pain, PTSD, Postpartum Depression and other mental health concerns?
Do you want to get relief from the impacts of Severe Depression?
This article Ketamine IV sheds light on the following:
Basic information about Ketamine as an aid for
Severe or Treatment-Resistant Depression
Ketamine is used as an analgesic, which relieves pain. It’s also an anesthetic, which induces dissociation and produces relaxation.
Because of these effects, it has been used as a therapy to manage the symptoms of Treatment-Resistant Depression (TRD). A lot of studies have been conducted to test the safety and efficacy of ketamine for TRD.
One of these studies is a review citing the results of 24 cases published in PubMed/Medline and ScienceDirect. A total of 416 people who suffered from Treatment-Resistant Depression (TRD) were subjects of the cases. The review reveals ketamine can be an option as an antidepressant with its psychomimetic properties (Serafini et al., 2014).
In May 2020, a study validated the efficacy of ketamine intravenous infusion therapy for Treatment-Resistant Depression (TRD).
Researchers from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden used positron emission therapy (PET) to scan the brains of 30 people who received low-dose ketamine.
For the first time, the researchers identified serotonin 1B receptors as the target of ketamine. Ketamine increased serotonin, a chemical in the body, which is responsible for mood regulation (Karolinski Institutet, 2020).
What Happens in a Pre-Ketamine IV consultation
Before you begin your Ketamine IV therapy, you must first complete a consultation. Our healthcare provider will check your diagnosis, comorbidities and complete a quick exam.
This consultation determines whether Ketamine is appropriate for your individual case and whether Ketamine is a safe choice for you.
During the consultation, we will ask about your diagnosis, chronic conditions, and medication history.
Listing all of the medications and treatments you have tried is very important in qualifying you for ketamine. During your consultation, we will ask about past medications, their effects, lack of effects or side effects.
Our healthcare provider will also look into the drug-drug interactions, which is rare with ketamine. Use of lamotrigine or Lamictal and cannabis have been determined to blunt the effects of ketamine. If either applied, we discuss how we manage this during your consultation.
Finally, we will review your medical history and current chronic conditions, if any. Thankfully, ketamine is extremely safe and there are very few conditions that make ketamine unsafe. Uncontrolled hypertension is one of them, so make sure you get your blood pressure treated!


What Typically Happens in Your
First Ketamine IV Appointment
Ketamine IV is performed by a trained healthcare provider. It’s not only your physical aspect that needs attention, but also your psychological state. You will be presented with baseline and ongoing questionnaires during your therapy. It is important that you complete these.
Many studies reveal that ketamine is well-tolerated by the body. One of these studies was about ketamine as an adjunct therapy to Treatment-Resistant Depression. They found out that people who participated in the study did well compared with those who took a placebo (Fava et al, 2018).


The Interventions Combined with Ketamine IV
Look into other interventions combined with Ketamine IV infusion therapy: Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) and Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) or ketamine psychedelic psychotherapy (KPP)
Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT)
CBT is a form of cognitive therapy developed by Zindel Segal, Mark Williams, and John Teasdale. It incorporates meditation and breathing exercises, which draws its origins from mindfulness-based reduction (MSBR) by Jon Kabat-Zinn in 1979.
Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP)
In a study of 235 patients, KAP was found to be an effective means for ebbing anxiety and depression, especially for the elderly who have severe symptoms (Dore et al., 2019). Moreover, the Ketamine Research Institute (KRIYA), Multidisciplinary Association of Psychedelic Studies, and the Ketamine Research Foundation have studied the positive effects of KAP.
According to KRIYA founder and psychologist, Racquel Bennet, ketamine acts in three ways (Velasquez-Manoff, 2018):
- It serves to relieve symptoms of depression and rids of irritations that negatively affect the therapy.
- The “shamanic” approach makes the person’s experience during therapy important to healing.
- The combination of both nos. 1 and 2, Ketamine corrects discrepancies in the neurological pathway and gains insights facilitated by a mental health professional.
Ketamine IV at The Injection & Infusion Clinic of ABQ
For more information on Ketamine IV therapy, call the Injection & Infusion Clinic of ABQ at 505-445-4300 or visit our Ketamine page to book an appointment! We would be happy to assist you!
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