Know Someone With Treatment-Resistant Depression? Learn About Ketamine Therapy

Occasionally feeling sad and low is normal. But, if these feelings persist past a few weeks, you may have depression – a serious mental health condition that can alter your life and leave you feeling hopeless, alone, and in permanent despair.

While many people find relief from standard treatments that include counseling and antidepressant medications, about 45% of people with depression are resistant to these treatments.

At New Tampa Interventional Pain and Sports Medicine in Wesley Chapel, Florida, we can help with ketamine therapy. Much positive research regarding the safety and efficacy of ketamine in treating depression exists. And you too can benefit from the life-changing aspects of ketamine therapy.

Jose De La Torre, MD and the highly qualified staff have witnessed the very real impact ketamine therapy can have on depressive mood disorder, especially when other attempts at treatment have failed. 

Read on to learn what potential ketamine therapy holds for you.

 The effect of ketamine on depression

Ketamine is a general anesthetic used for surgical procedures and pain relief. When used on soldiers during the Vietnam War, researchers noticed it significantly lifted their moods, too. As a result, studies regarding ketamine’s effects on depression started and have spanned the following decades.

Research shows that small doses of ketamine delivered via an IV can positively impact people who have treatment-resistant depression, postpartum depression, and other difficult-to-treat mental health issues, such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and bipolar disorder.

Ketamine acts quickly

Ketamine works quickly, especially when compared to traditional antidepressants. Instead of taking weeks or months to kick in, ketamine delivered intravenously can lift your mood within 40 minutes.

Because ketamine works so quickly, emergency room physicians sometimes prescribe a ketamine IV treatment for patients presenting with suicidal thoughts or intent.

Ketamine is a powerful drug. It should only be administered by a qualified medical professional, such as those at New Tampa Interventional Pain and Sports Medicine, and patients carefully supervised while under ketamine treatment. Low-dose treatment is most safe; it can be addictive if not carefully administered.

Not a stand-alone approach to treating depression

Ketamine may seem like a simple, effective, and quick solution, it is by no means a stand-alone treatment. 

Rather, it’s a valuable therapeutic asset that can lift your mood significantly and help you focus on psychotherapy and other treatments used to overcome the debilitating effects of a depressive mood disorder.

It may be effective as a temporary fix as you wait for more traditional antidepressants to work.

What happens during ketamine therapy

Before you begin treatments at New Tampa Interventional Pain and Sports Medicine, we perform a comprehensive evaluation to determine whether you’re a good candidate for the therapy. This includes a detailed review of your physical health, medications and supplements you currently take, and the treatments you’ve received thus far for depression.

Before scheduling your first treatment, you receive complete and detailed instructions and information regarding ketamine IV therapy.

Once you’re ready to come in for treatment, the IV is placed and you receive a slow infusion of low-dose ketamine that takes about 45-60 minutes to complete. Our team monitors you closely as you receive the IV. You can relax, listen to music, or nap during the procedure.

Following the completion of your treatment, you remain in the office for about 30 minutes to make sure you’re OK. Ketamine can act as a sedative, so you will need a ride home following your treatment.

We typically recommend six to eight carefully spaced treatments at first. Depending on your response, we may suggest single follow-up ketamine sessions periodically to maintain its effects.

 You don’t have to tolerate the heaviness and misery of depression, even if you’ve not responded to other treatments. At New Tampa Interventional Pain and Sports Medicine, we’re ready to help you learn how ketamine therapy may be able to help you. Call our office or book an appointment using this website for more information.