Rediscover Hope
with Ketamine Therapy
Low dose ketamine in a controlled setting works faster than SSRIs. Some patients report feeling relief during their first session.
Treatment available in person in our Las Vegas clinic.
What is Ketamine?
Originally used as a pediatric anesthetic, ketamine has shown to be an effective drug for fighting depression. Ketamine works differently in your brain than other antidepressant medications. Conventional antidepressants such as SSRIs have to build up in your system to change your brain chemistry.Ketamine almost immediately alters the neurotransmitter activity in your brain. In 2014, Thomas Insel, former director of the National Institute for Mental Health, said, “Ketamine, given intravenously, might be the most important breakthrough in antidepressant treatment in decades.”
Why is Ketamine Effective?
Though ketamine is still being actively studied, the current research is promising. Studies have shown more than half of patients experienced significant relief after even one treatment, and more after several infusions. The FDA has approved the ketamine nasal spray Spravato to treat depression, which we offer at our clinics.
Studies show a high success rate
Patients report relief after just a few sessions, and often after a few hours. Unlike SSRIs, which take several weeks of daily dosage to determine if the medication will work, results from ketamine are evaluated immediately.
Works quickly
Relief from symptoms lasts much longer than the active period when a patient is actively taking treatments. Traditional anti-depressants are only effective while you are taking them daily. A typical ketamine treatment plan will require 6 infusions over several week period, and then long term monitoring and maintenance that may include booster infusions as needed. Ketamine stimulates brain changes that lead to extended relief.
Longer lasting results
Two different types of Ketamine treatments
Ketamine Infusions
A slow, constant IV drip of ketamine is delivered directly into your bloodstream to achieve the highest bioavailability possible. A brief series of infusions can provide deep experiences with lasting effects for reductions in depression, anxiety, and PTSD.
Spravato Esketamine Nasal Spray
An FDA-approved form of ketamine called esketamine must be done in our offices. Spravato is usually covered by insurance and is able to provide rapid relief for treatment-resistant depression.
Ketamine Treatment: An Effective Alternative to Traditional SSRIs
Ketamine is typically used for patients with depression who have tried other forms of therapy and haven’t found anything that works. Where traditional anti-depressants can take weeks and have disruptive side effects, patients find relief within a few sessions, sometimes even after the first treatment. It is particularly useful in treating treatment resistant depression, PTSD, and anxiety.
Our holistic approach is personalized, and may blend multiple therapies. Before we begin ketamine treatments, we conduct a thorough evaluation to see if the treatment is right for you. We will discuss what symptoms you’ve been experiencing lately, as well as your goals, to tailor the treatment to your body and mental health needs.
Patients have the option of a virtual online treatment program. This can still include multiple effective methodologies and a personalized plan, with the ketamine sessions held during virtual guidance from our clinicians.
What Should I Expect During Treatment?
During the treatment, you’ll be monitored closely by our team. Some people prefer to be alone during most of the experience, while others prefer to have our clinicians with them the entire time. While the infusions and Spravato provide a “deeper” experience, ketamine-assisted therapy is generally milder and intended to break down barriers in therapy. For example, some people compare ketamine-assisted therapy to “a year of therapy in one session.”
While some patients might experience side effects during treatment, including floating sensations and hallucinations, these are only mild and wear off once the treatment is finished. Ketamine does increase blood pressure, so unmanaged high blood pressure will usually need to be addressed before starting treatment. Feeling tired or having a headache is also normal after a session, so patients are not allowed to drive themselves home after receiving ketamine treatments. Many patients begin to feel relief immediately after their first session, although they often need to complete their series for continued benefit.
The Science Behind Ketamine
Ketamine works differently than traditional SSRIs, though researchers are still trying to pinpoint the exact mechanism behind the efficacy. In low-doses, ketamine produces a surge in glutamate, which encourages the growth of the brain’s synapses. With this increase in glutamate, the neural connections in the regions of the brain that are affected by depression are stimulated, strengthened, restored. The brain circuit function is improved from these strengthened neurons that have previously been stifled by depression.
Researchers have also identified molecular changes with ketamine treatments related to G Proteins. People with depression typically have a high amount of G proteins accumulating on lipid rafts on cellular membranes, where they are inactive. SSRIs push the G proteins off the lipid raft and back into useful activity. However ketamine forces them active much faster, in minutes instead of weeks, and keeps them in action for much longer.
Get started today
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