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At Nepenthe Wellness Center, our IV ketamine infusions are great for use with mood disorders and depression, especially if these health issues are not alleviated through other forms of treatment. Ketamine drips may be new to you, so we want to be sure you know what to expect. Before we get into the specifics, be aware that the process is painless and safe.
Knowing what to expect before going in for ketamine infusions can help give you peace of mind so you can walk into your appointment with full confidence about the experience. It’s helpful to understand that what is IV ketamine involves a controlled administration of medication aimed at minimizing side effects, including ketamine nausea treatment, ensuring a comfortable and effective session.
At your first appointment at Nepenthe Wellness Center, you will be greeted by our friendly staff and led into your private ketamine drip treatment room, where we’ll ensure you are made comfortable.
Our Nurse Practitioner will conduct a quick physical exam, checking your airways, heart rate, blood pressure, and answer any last-minute questions you may have about the IV ketamine process. This is a great time to discuss any concerns you might have about ketamine drips, including the measures we take to prevent ketamine nausea and enhance your comfort throughout the treatment.
Once all your paperwork is completed, the clinician will start the IV ketamine. A small catheter will be placed in your vein; this process is usually quite painless, but in the event of discomfort, we have a topical spray available that can alleviate any pain. Once the IV is connected, the ketamine drip will be set to administer the medication over 60 minutes.
Ketamine drips can cause some nausea. If you are prone to motion or car sickness, an anti-nausea medication will be administered as part of our ketamine nausea treatment to offset any symptoms
We use state of the art remote monitoring devices to collect all your vitals in real time. Our Caretaker devices are placed on your wrist and middle finger and provide the Nurse Practitioner with your blood pressure, O2 levels, heart rate and saturations. If there are any issues they can pause the IV pump and the medication would stop flowing immediately.
Enjoy your own private treatment room with all the comforts of home. Select an ambient video from our library, complete with ambient music or use a sleep mask during the infusion to nap comfortably. Most patients report a deeply relaxed sensation during the infusion. Some experience lucid dreaming. The medication allows you to disconnect, provides insights, inspiration, and a feeling of purpose or creativity.
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After your initial consultation, ketamine infusions are usually scheduled six or more times over 2-4 weeks depending on your schedule. After the initial treatment course, patients generally continue with maintenance doses on a monthly basis.
You will have a consultation to determine if ketamine infusion therapy will reduce your pain or mood disorder. Our team will then create a treatment plan tailored specifically to you for maximum results.
Depending on the severity of your condition and other medications you are on, you may be offered six or more consecutive sessions of ketamine treatment. Based on the treatment plan devised for you, you will relax from one to two hours per session while having the infusion, and then spend 20 minutes to one hour recovering afterwards.
Our team works hard to ensure you experience no more than minimal discomfort and side effects using best practice standards.
Everybody is unique and responds to treatment in their own way. For mood disorder patients, some will begin to feel better within hours of their 3rd or 4th infusion.
Patients with thoughts of self-harm or suicidal ideation often notice those thoughts and feelings dissipate first. There is often a dramatic relief of dread and hopelessness, anxiety, dysphoria, physical fatigue, insomnia and much more.
Many patients report the increased ability to function and be productive immediately. Other patients may not notice any improvement in mood until after their 5th or 6th infusion. Some patients will require more infusions and more time following their infusions before feeling significantly better.
It is important to note that the results of ketamine can be sudden and dramatic, but they are not always. It is more common for patients to see gradual, subtle improvement. Sometimes function improves before mood does.
A typical treatment using a dosage for mental health will normally take around one hour. You should ensure that you are accompanied to the treatment as you will not be able to operate a motor vehicle after ketamine treatment.
Ketamine produces very different effects depending on whether someone takes a little or a lot.
Ketamine can give sensations of lightness (like walking on the moon), dizziness, and euphoria. It makes people’s thoughts flow randomly; ideas can seem special and important, or pleasantly or unpleasantly muddled. Things may begin to look and sound different or somehow unreal.
At Nepenthe Wellness we have created a welcoming relaxing and safe environment for people to experience ketamine treatment and there is no reason to worry about the effects of treatment.
Patients commonly feel tired following an infusion. On rare occasion, some patients experience nausea after an infusion. If so, we have anti-nausea medication that can relieve this. If you are prone to nausea, we can administer anti-nausea medicine as a preventive measure before the infusion.
Side effects usually dissipate within a few hours and are completely gone by the following day. There are no known long-term or permanent side effects of low dose IV ketamine therapy when administered by a clinician in a medical setting.
Uncontrolled blood pressure, unstable heart disease, untreated thyroid disease, active substance abuse, current manic phase of bipolar disorder, active psychotic (hallucinations or delusions) symptoms, severe liver disease or pregnancy may preclude you from having ketamine infusions.
If you have questions about your specific medical conditions, give our office a call for more information on 512-986-7723.
Some patients achieve long-term relief after one series of infusions. Others find that infusions enhance the impact of antidepressants or provide initial relief that is then sustained by oral medicines, other therapies.
If ketamine therapy is the only solution that works for you, you may be able to space your infusions apart by 1-3 months. After the initial series of infusions restores the brain to a healthy balance, it is generally easier to maintain that balance than it was to attain it in the first place.
Follow-up or “booster” infusions are provided on an as-needed basis for maintenance.
At Nepenthe Wellness Center, we understand the concerns surrounding the potential for addiction with any medication. With ketamine, the risk of addiction is significantly influenced by factors like dosage, frequency of administration, and the clinical environment in which it is used.
In the context of therapeutic use, ketamine is administered in a controlled, clinical setting under the supervision of experienced medical professionals. The dosages and frequency of administration we utilize for treatments are specifically calibrated to minimize any risk of addiction. These dosages are typically much lower than those associated with recreational use, where the risk of addiction is higher.
We also implement a comprehensive monitoring protocol for all patients. This includes careful observation for any signs of tolerance, dependency, or adverse reactions. Our team continually assesses each patient’s response to treatment, ensuring that ketamine is used in a way that maximizes its therapeutic benefits while minimizing risks.
Furthermore, the course of ketamine therapy is typically short-term and targeted, unlike medications that are taken on an ongoing daily basis which can have a higher propensity for dependence. Our approach is holistic – we focus not just on the symptoms but also on underlying factors contributing to your condition, supporting you with a combination of ketamine therapy and other wellness strategies tailored to your individual needs.
It’s also important to note that research into ketamine’s use as a therapeutic agent, particularly for treatment-resistant depression and certain chronic pain conditions, has shown positive outcomes with a low risk of dependency when administered responsibly under medical guidance.
At Nepenthe Wellness Center, patient safety and wellbeing are our utmost priorities. We are committed to providing informed, compassionate care, and we openly discuss any concerns or questions our patients may have about their treatment plans.
Depression is very common and affects up to 4% of the world’s population. Treatment-resistant depression affects between one-third and two-thirds of those who suffer from depression. It can affect anyone of any age or demographic background, as well.
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