Why You Should Consider Ketamine Infusions for Depression [2020 UPDATE]
This post was originally published 3/1/2018 and updated on 9/7/2020
Ketamine is shedding it’s old reputation and gaining a new life as a rapidly effective treatment for depression, PTSD, and anxiety. Some researchers even state that ketamine is "the biggest breakthrough in depression research in a half century.” You may have read news articles, seen videos on YouTube, or perhaps have even heard of a ketamine infusion clinic near you. But should you consider trying it for your own depression?
The simple answer is a “YES!” But first, you’ll want to do your research and consult with a ketamine specialist to see if it’s right for you.
Now, here are four reasons why you may want to consider ketamine infusions for your depression:
People usually take antidepressants for a few weeks before they start to work. Those medicines need to build up in your system to have an effect. Ketamine infusion works on depression as it leaves your body.
1. YOU ARE READY FOR A TREATMENT THAT WORKS RAPIDLY
Traditional treatment for depression, such as antidepressant pills, can take at least 4-8 weeks before you see an improvement in symptoms. Some people experience a decrease in symptoms within hours to days after their ketamine infusion. Ketamine infusions are demonstrating both an immediate and lasting effect of decreasing depression symptoms.
Learn more about how ketamine works to improve depression symptoms here.
With treatment-resistant depression, standard treatments aren't enough. They may not help much at all, or your symptoms may improve, only to keep coming back.
2. YOU HAVE TREATMENT-RESISTANT DEPRESSION
Perhaps you have taken your pills faithfully for months or even years, or have failed multiple medications. Or you’ve also gone to counseling religiously but still seem to not see any improvement in your symptoms. You may be part of the 10-20% of patients with depression who meet the criteria for Treatment-Resistant Depression (TRD) [1]. Growing research is showing that ketamine infusions are particularly effective in treating TRD. Some studies show that ketamine infusions can be effective in up to 80% of patients in reducing their symptoms.
Learn about how chronic depression, anxiety, and pain can affect the brain and how ketamine works to reverse that here.
Serotonin syndrome is an uncommon, but potentially serious, set of side effects linked to SSRIs.
3. YOU WANT TO AVOID SIDE EFFECTS FROM MEDICATIONS
Sure your selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are helping but you may have become tired of the side effects, such as nausea, headaches, feeling numb, or decreased libido. There is a case of a patient having remission of their depression 3 months after a series of infusions [2]. If you respond positively to ketamine, you may be able to work with your psychiatrist to minimize the number or even taper off some medications.
Of course, ketamine has side effects as well, which we explain in our video here.
BDNF signalling is proposed to play key roles in antidepressant drug action. Administration of IV ketamine, an N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist and putative antidepressant, may increase synaptic plasticity in the prefrontal cortex through higher expression of BDNF.
4. YOU NEED HELP GETTING “UNSTUCK”
Ketamine rapidly increases a potent neurochemical in your brain called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). This can help your brain cells renew, regenerate, mature, and form stronger connections with each other. All of this helps support structural changes in your brain. Ketamine infusions are like Miracle-Gro for the brain when used in the appropriate set and setting. Perhaps you want to let go of old thought patterns, heal traumatic experiences, or create new habits, ketamine treatments may be the catalyst that gives you the activation energy to make it happen.
Read more about how ketamine can be a catalyst here.
Although the results of ketamine IV therapy are sometimes immediate and dramatic, not everyone has the same experience.
Ketamine is great, but it is definitely not for everyone
Ketamine infusions could hurt more than help in certain medical conditions like uncontrolled heart conditions and schizophrenia (learn more here about the other medical conditions which should avoid ketamine). If you have one of these particular medical conditions you may want to hold off getting ketamine infusions until they are controlled or avoid ketamine altogether.
Another thing to consider is that if you are not willing or not ready to get ketamine infusion, then it is not for you! During the ketamine infusion you can experience a non-ordinary state of consciousness or psychedelic experience (learn more here about what a ketamine infusion feels like). If you don’t feel ready to experience that type of experience, then listen to yourself and don’t get ketamine. We’ve also found at our clinic that patients who undergo ketamine infusions because a family member convinces them to do it, they don’t have as much of an improvement than the patients who really wanted to do it themselves.
Treating depression (or any mental health disorder) is not a “one-stop-shop.” It often takes a village and a combination of different approaches to find the best treatment plan for each individual. But imagine the profound effect once you find what works for you.
Final thoughts
Like any treatment or medication, the results may vary. The ketamine infusion experience is unique for each patient and even for the same patient with multiple infusions! If you are ready to try cutting-edge treatment, want try something new, or simply want to give yourself a chance to feel better, ketamine infusions just might be for you.