To simplify the question, we will limit the discussion to ketamine and its role in depression.
The short answers are: 1) Unawareness of ketamine as a treatment 2) Ketamine is not FDA approved for mood disorders 3) Ketamine is considered an experimental or investigational drug
But to leave it at this doesn’t fully explain it. To explore more, let’s do a deeper dive into each of these answers.
You’ve read up about ketamine. Maybe you have a friend or acquaintance who's gotten better thanks to ketamine. You’re ready to try ketamine infusions and you want to talk to your doctor but not sure how to go about it without getting an immediate dismissal. Well we got you covered and have a suggestion on how to bring up ketamine treatments with your doctor.
COVID-19 has taken the world by storm, and with the rush of new trials, medications, and treatments, everyone is hoping for a miracle drug or vaccine. But with the rush and urgency for a treatment, doctors had to result with what is currently available and repurposing drugs that are originally intended for a different disease. They have tried drugs such as hydroxychloroquine, antivirals, antibiotics, and vitamins. It’s a tough battle to fight, as they need medication that will stop the disease from progressing and treat those patients that have fallen dangerously ill. With severe economic impacts and a push to “open-up” states, doctors and researchers are rapidly developing trials to find out which medications may be the most effective.
We often get asked this question: "How long is the time frame between ketamine booster infusions?" The real answer and it’s no surprise is... it depends.
As you already may know we recommend an initial six treatments over a period of two to three weeks. This is based upon the evidence from the clinical studies. Then depending on your response and how you feel, you may need a booster anywhere from every two weeks to every four weeks, sometimes even out to two or three months after the initiation series.
Let’s face it, life can be stressful. And at times with so much information at our fingertips, it can get overwhelming, really quick, really fast. Constantly refreshing our phones for new updates. All while trying to grasp what may be happening around our community, the nation, and around the world.
In this post, we wanted to share with you a question we’ve been asked several times: "What is your opinion on eating/drinking before ketamine infusions?”
No Drinking or Eating For At Least 3 Hours
At our clinic, we typically recommend that someone does not eat or drink for three hours prior to their ketamine treatments. Why? Well, some of the side effects of ketamine is nausea and vomiting.
It’s no surprise that we are firm believers in ketamine infusions for the rapid treatment of depression, anxiety, PTSD, OCD, and chronic pain disorders. However, we also recognize that ketamine is not the one silver bullet that is going to fix every single problem in your life. Yes, you may feel great after your infusion, but you can’t be on ketamine all the time - plus the effects of ketamine can fade over time.
What kind of practices comes to mind when you think about having a long lifespan? Healthy eating habits, getting enough physical exercise, and avoiding all bad habits? And what is considered a long life? According to The World Factbook, the average life expectancy is about 77 years for men and 82 years for women.
Today we are inspired by the work and wisdom of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. During the 1950 and 1960s, there were many civil rights activists besides Dr. King. They all pointed out the injustice of that time and shared how they were going to create change. One of the things that made Dr. King standout and have his legacy live on to today is that he shared his DREAM. He shared his vision of a beautiful world where those civil rights existed. He shared his WHY.
The diversity of life on earth is extraordinary, therefore the perspectives and experiences we each carry as human beings can be vastly different from each other. In relation to medicine and mental health, researchers at the Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University in China recognized that we all have our own biological, environmental, and experiential complexities which prompted them to identify four different subgroups of depression: anxious, melancholic, anxious-melancholic, and no subtype. They then conducted a post-hoc study regarding the association between ketamine and the aforementioned subtypes.
For some patients, I notice that they have a hard time loving themselves. I believe that self-love is a critical component of healing. However, it can be difficult to do in our society today. The message we get is that “You are not good enough, but if you buy X, Y, and Z, then it will make you worthy of love.”
