Does it matter if ketamine is administered via IV or nasal spray?

Esketamine is a form of ketamine that can be used via a nasal spray and that has just been recommended for approval by the FDA to treat severe depression. While esketamine does not require an infusion, it must be administered in a health care setting where patients can be monitored for up to two hours. Based on our research, we believe that intravenous delivery of ketamine is more reliable and less likely to cause severe side effects. However, esketamine nasal spray provides a viable alternative treatment method for those patients uncomfortable with an IV. Currently, we only offer Ketamine via infusions. We do not currently offer intranasal Esketamine and are adding this option soon.

Ketamine Clinic Chicago

If ketamine treatment is prescribed, all scheduled treatments are attended by a qualified professional under close physiologic monitoring. The framework for ketamine-assisted therapies is structured to insure an integrated and effective experience.

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FAQs

Find answers, gain clarity, and embark on your journey with confidence

What is IV ketamine therapy?

Ketamine is an anesthetic medication that blocks the NMDA receptor that has also been used as a recreational drug due to its dissociative properties. It is on the World Health Organization’s List of Essential Medicines because of its safety and efficacy for anesthesia. More recently, ketamine has been discovered as a safe and effective treatment for depression, and randomized controlled trials have shown rapid improvement in mood as well as reduction in suicidality compared to people who receive a placebo or another drug.

Is ketamine right for me?

Adults age 18 and over who suffer from severe depression and have not had success with traditional treatments for depression are eligible for ketamine treatment. Our comprehensive evaluation will include a medical history and basic lab results to ensure ketamine therapy is safe for you.

How does IV ketamine therapy work?

Several randomized controlled trials demonstrate that ketamine has made a significant improvement in depressive symptoms and suicidality over the course of the first 2 weeks. In fact, if ketamine does not work for you after 2 sessions, the data suggest it is unlikely to work at all. Several studies have looked at how long the effects of Ketamine last. This graph shows just one such study’s results.

Are there any risks associated with ketamine therapy?

For depression, the doses of ketamine used are much lower than the dose for anesthesia, making it relatively safe. That said, ketamine does carry the risk of changing your blood pressure and heart rate, which we will monitor throughout the ketamine infusion therapy. Longer term risks include urinary symptoms, cognitive impairment (with prolonged use), and substance use disorders. We will monitor for these symptoms throughout the treatment.

When considering ketamine treatment, patients want to know how much ketamine depression treatments cost. Ketamine therapy can be very effective in relieving the symptoms of treatment-resistant depression.