Ketamine infusions for anxiety and depression?

[Anonymous]

DD (who is 18) has suffered from anxiety and depression for several years. She has tried several antidepressants and has seen done both individual and group therapy including an intensive outpatient program last summer. She is still struggling and her psychiatrist has suggested ketamine infusions. The research looks pretty favorable (highly effective and low risk) but would love to hear if anyone has first-hand experiences (good or bad)?

[Anonymous]

I don’t have experience with Ketamine, but I was referred to my current psychiatrist because he does Ketamine infusions and I had treatment resistant depression. He put me on medication that got me back in track so that I didn’t need Ketamine. He was willing to give me Ketamine, but he wanted to make sure that we exhausted every option first - we came to this decision together. He is the best. I highly recommend your DD have a consult with him.


https://www.washingtoninterventionalpsychiatry.com/

https://www.washingtoninterventionalpsychiatry.com/clinicians/navin-reddy/

[Anonymous]

Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Ketamine was a powerful treatment in my multi faceted fight against PTSD

[Anonymous]

You want esketamine, administered through a psychiatrist. Hopkins has a clinic. Spouse went there and it was transformative (long-term Treatment resistant depression). There is a new provider in the area that provides the same treatment and is a recent grad: Bright Horizons psychiatry/Dr. Etasam.

[Anonymous]

If she’s tried several antidepressants and had little success, you might want to look into transcranial magnetic stimulation therapy - TMS. I had refractory depression and anxiety for years and years, had little success with drugs but after a course of TMS I’ve enjoyed better mental health the last year or so than in decades really.

TMS isn’t cheap, but it has basically zero side effects compared to drugs and the results last a very long time. Insurance will cover it if the patient has been drug treatment resistant, and of course you can pay out of pocket otherwise if you have the means.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transcranial_magnetic_stimulation

[Anonymous]

My husband is currently completing a ketamine series and it has worked wonders for his depression and anxiety symptoms. I cannot recommend the physicians enough at Capitol Ketamine & Wellness for their care and safety. It is certainly another tool that can complement the medications he is on.

[Anonymous]

Thanks, all.

OP here. I've read up on both TMS and ketamine (both nasal and infusions) and have discussed all with her psychiatrist. All seem like treatments that can be highly effective. Her psychiatrist is recommending ketamine infusions for her right now so I'm just trying to get some insights from people who have experienced it.

[Anonymous]

Ketamine infusions were life changing for me. I cannot say enough good things about this type of treatment for depression. It was expensive, but so worth it. I was reluctant at first because of the expense, but I felt immediate relief after the first infusion and wish I had started sooner.

[Anonymous]

Nasal is a lot cheaper

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ketamine infusions were life changing for me. I cannot say enough good things about this type of treatment for depression. It was expensive, but so worth it. I was reluctant at first because of the expense, but I felt immediate relief after the first infusion and wish I had started sooner.

OP here- thanks for the first-hand insight. If you don't mind me asking, how often do you have infusions? From what I understand, after the initial protocol (which DD's doctor said is 3 times per week for 2 weeks), some patients go several months without needing additional infusions, while others need it about once per month.

[Anonymous]

After my initial six infusions (over the course of four weeks), I went back every 12 weeks for an infusion. I wanted to stop after the first six infusions because I felt so good, but some research shows continuing infusions for at least a year yields the best results. I’m so glad I did the whole year and will go back for infusions on an as needed basis. Again, the expense was a lot, but I feel like I have my life back as I have never felt this good. My emotions are manageable — I still have hard days, but the days aren’t overwhelming and consumed my sadness.

[Anonymous]

I did a series of 6 infusions with the Care Clinic in Fairfax for treatment resistant depression. It didn’t help me. I felt my depression lift for about an hour after the third treatment, then for two days after the fifth, but that was it. No lasting relief at all. I said to my psychiatrist afterwards “I feel like this is not the magic bullet it is marketed as” and he said that that has been the case for most of his patients—it hasn’t been of much help. But YMMV, your DD could be one of the lucky ones. It definitely helps for some—but most of them need maintenance treatments.

Plan on an entire day for each infusion—you need a clear free mind going into each treatment, and you are completely wiped out afterwards. You will need to drive her. If it makes her sick, they should administer an anti-nausea medication with it. Also, it is a psychedelic, so bad trips are possible-just be aware of that. I had one really positive trip, one scary bad one, and 4 that I would describe as neutral.

[Anonymous]

I just saw an ad on social media from NIH about ketamine clinical trials for depression. Might be an option if you are concerned about cost.