Can Ketamine Infusion Therapy Bring You Depression Relief?

Depression is a serious problem in America. Between 13 and 14 million Americans experience major depression symptoms each year, and while treatment is effective for many, it’s not effective for all. Thirty to 40 percent of those who seek treatment with conventional antidepressants will find no relief, or only partial relief.

That’s a big deal, because people with treatment-resistant depression are more vulnerable to substance abuse problems and suicide. But now there’s hope for depression sufferers who can’t get relief from conventional antidepressants. Ketamine infusion therapy is an emerging treatment that can bring rapid relief of depression symptoms. It’s especially useful for people contemplating suicide. For many with treatment-resistant depression, ketamine infusion therapy can bring about the relief necessary to make real progress in psychotherapy.

What Is Ketamine?

Ketamine is a popular anesthetic that has been in use for more than four decades. Unlike many anesthetics, ketamine doesn’t depress respiratory or cardiovascular function, making it a popular anesthetic in dental practices and in Third World countries, where the facilities necessary to monitor vital functions aren’t often available.

A growing body of research suggests that ketamine can be safely and successfully used to curb suicidal thoughts and ease depression symptoms. Ketamine infusion therapy is growing in popularity as an alternative depression treatment. Emergency medical personnel are also beginning to use the drug as a suicide prevention tool in people suffering from depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and substance abuse disorders.

How Ketamine Infusion Therapy Treats Depression

Researchers do not fully understand how ketamine works in the brain to relieve depression symptoms, but they do know that the drug’s depression relief effects come on much more rapidly than those of traditional antidepressants. Where selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) like Prozac or Zoloft take four to six weeks to begin relieving depression symptoms, ketamine infusion therapy brings relief in as little as two hours to 70.8 percent of patients. According to research performed at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, the effects of ketamine infusion therapy last an average of one month in 70.8 percent of patients before symptoms begin to gradually return.

Although IV ketamine infusion therapy is not a cure, the relief it brings can last for many months, making it a valuable tool in the arsenal against depression. Often, a couple of months of relief is all a patient needs in order to make the necessary lifestyle changes to continue remission. Successful treatment of depression typically relies on a multi-pronged approach that includes a combination of prescription drugs for short-term symptom relief and psychotherapy to teach patients coping skills.

However, patients often don’t have the wherewithal or energy to seek psychotherapy or make important lifestyle changes while in the grip of unmitigated depression symptoms. A treatment like ketamine infusion therapy, which provides rapid relief of symptoms, gives patients a window of time during which they can begin to make progress in therapy and work towards the lifestyle changes that can help them find lasting relief, such as exercising regularly and eating a healthy diet.

In addition to bringing about rapid relief of depression symptoms, ketamine infusion therapy has also been found to be useful for treating suicidal ideation, even in people who do not suffer from depression. It may seem counterintuitive, but depression isn’t the only cause of suicide. People who suffer from borderline personality disorder, PTSD, or substance abuse disorders may also think about or attempt suicide, even if they don’t suffer from depression. For these people, having a suicide prevention treatment that doesn’t hinge on relieving depression symptoms is crucial.

What to Expect From Ketamine Infusion Therapy

Ketamine infusion therapy is administered by IV. Treatment typically consists of about six infusions administered over about a 12-day period. Each treatment session lasts about 45 minutes. Side effects are minimal and can include fuzzy vision, confusion, and lucid daydreaming. While side effects usually stop after the infusion ends, you should arrange to have someone drive you home from the treatment and plan to avoid driving or operating heavy machinery until after a good night of sleep.

You can expect the benefits of your initial treatment to last from three to 12 weeks. After you’ve completed your initial round of treatment, you may wish to return to the clinic regularly for booster treatments that can help you keep your symptoms at bay while you get your life back together. About 75 percent of patients between the ages of 15 and 55 benefit from ketamine infusion therapy.

If you’re suffering from treatment-resistant depression, there may be new hope for you in the form of ketamine infusion therapy. This emerging treatment provides rapid relief from depression symptoms and suicidal thoughts. For many people, it’s the boost they need to make real progress toward managing their depression and living a normal life again.