This is a transcript of the video which has been edited for readability.
You may be wondering what the most common side effects of receiving ketamine infusions are. In fact, this is one of the most frequent questions we’ve been asked here at Reset Ketamine. In this blog post, we’ll talk about the possible side effects and what you can do about it.
Ketamine has a few long-term and short-term side effects which you should be aware of. Be sure to speak with your doctor about this beforehand.
Short-Term Side Effects
The most common short-term side effects that I see are nausea, vomiting, dizziness, high blood pressure, and headache. Patients will also dissociate, which some people consider a side effect. I personally don't consider that a side effect because we do want some dissociation during the ketamine infusion.
If you do have any of these side effects, some of them can be reduced by using medicines like IV Zofran or IV Toradol after, during, or before the infusion.
Long-Term Side Effects
There aren't a lot of studies looking at ketamine patients who experience long-term side effects. So the data are extrapolated from studies looking at patients who are chronic ketamine abusers, meaning patients who are taking a large amount of ketamine on their own at several grams per day, every day. In that extreme case, there have been reports of memory problems, liver dysfunction, liver failure, liver inflammation, and gallbladder inflammation. In addition, there's something called ketamine induced interstitial cystitis which is basically like having urinary tract infection symptoms but without any bacteria that's causing it.
If you develop any of these problems, we would highly recommend you to discontinue ketamine use indefinitely or until those problems resolve. But do remember that these are extreme cases of people on higher doses. In ketamine clinics, the doses are much more regulated.
Know Your Symptoms
Ketamine is indeed a great drug but it has its pros and cons. You need to talk with your doctor to see if it's going to be a good fit for you. Monitor your own symptoms as well to see if there's anything going on. It might also be a good idea to have your liver enzymes checked or your kidney function checked. Let your doctor know as well if you have any symptoms within the bladder.
It is important to be aware that ketamine may have side effects, both long-term and short-term, depending on the person. Find out what they are in this blog post.
