Ketamine effectively treats over 70% of patients who have suffered from treatment-resistant depression .
Successful treatment with ketamine can occur within hours to a few days of initiation of therapy.
Many patients have suffered for years, having utilized traditional antidepressant therapies, TMS, and even ECT. ketamine still can be highly effective even in the most difficult to treat cases.
How is Ketamine Administered?
Intravenous ketamine therapies over the course of two weeks given as a series of six infusions lasting 40 minutes each can result in significant response or remission in patients who have suffered for many years. This treatment is even more effective than the FDA-approved Spravato.
Am I a candidate for ketamine therapy?
Anyone is entitled to receive ketamine therapy if they do not have medical conditions that would require prior medical authorization, such as heart attack, stroke, schizophrenia, uncontrolled blood pressure, liver failure, or kidney failure.
Ketamine provides a rapid response or remission in 70% of patients within days
Ketamine provides a rapid response for depression and mood disorders in over 70% of treatment cases and results in remission or significant improvement in patients who have suffered a prolonged mental health journey. These results can occur within days of the start of treatment.
You do not have to be treatment-resistant in order to receive ketamine therapy. Early treatment of depression and other mood disorders with ketamine therapy can improve response and quality of life more rapidly than waiting for traditional medications to work.
Do I need to do psychotherapy to make ketamine work?
Ketamine can be used as a standalone option without other medications or therapy sessions. For other patients, the side effects of traditional medications such as sexual side effects, weight gain, emotional blunting, or other problems impact their lives so severely that they can be worse than the depression itself. Ketamine therapy does not require psychotherapy to occur during the infusions . Most people have had therapy for years, yet words do not allow people to describe their feelings of despair or poor emotional state. Ketamine is a language of its own as it repairs neural circuits that have been damaged by years of trauma, medical conditions, and stress that result in depression.
Ketamine does NOT have side effects of weight gain or sexual side effects, and ketamine is one of the only treatments for anhedonia -which is feeling nothing at all. ketamine improves a number of wellness parameters such as motivation , sense of reward, fatigue , hope, low self-esteem, and ruminations.
Ketamine helps your cognitive abilities in depression.
Brain fog is a common issue with depression and other mood disorders. Problems with making decisions, verbal memory, working memory such as remembering a phone number, and visuospatial processing, such as organizing your cabinets in the kitchen, are all impacted by depression. Ketamine therapy can improve certain aspects of loss of cognition associated with depression, as it improves depression through the repair of neural circuitry and turns off the more anxiety-provoking sides of the brain.
What are the details of ketamine administration?
At Nova Health Recovery Ketamine Infusion Center we initially use a series of ketamine infusions for mood disorders, generally six infusions over two weeks. Our main infusion days are Monday, Wednesday, and Friday between the hours of 9 AM to 9 PM. An infusion requires a pediatric-sized IV through which a solution of ketamine is administered over the course of 40 to 45 minutes, and the amount of ketamine is based on a person’s weight and escalated between a range of 0.5 mg per kilogram all the way up to 1 mg per kilogram in general. Most people are awake during the infusion process, although there are some trippy effects that occur as a person has higher doses given. These sensations include a feeling of connectedness, floating, warm, increased visual perceptions and distortions, enhanced sensitivity to sounds, and existential thoughts that allow one to reprocess old memories. These effects stop within minutes after the infusion is stopped, and ketamine is effectively out of the system within 20 to 30 minutes. You cannot drive to the appointment however some people will catch an Uber or Lyft back-and-forth to the appointment. you will be completely functional the following day, and many people are able to work effectively within a few hours after a treatment session.
How many treatments per week do I receive?
Most patients will receive two or three treatments per week, usually spaced apart by one day. We generally recommend three treatments per week for a total of six infusions.
How long do the effects of ketamine treatment last?
The goal is to get the individual into remission, and then we utilize low-dose ketamine for micro-dosing at home to maintain neural plasticity. Many patients will return on a monthly basis for a few months for single infusions. The series of ketamine infusions usually allows the effects to last for several weeks, but it is best to plan on doing a few extra infusions on a monthly basis to consolidate your gains.
When do I see the results of the treatment?
Many people will sense the change even after the first infusion, with many describing it as if something had lifted up off their chest. For many patients, there is a steady improvement over the series, but many feel the best effect tarts after the fourth infusion.
Does insurance cover this treatment?
Insurance does not cover this treatment. NOVA Health Recovery Ketamine Infusion Center
IV ketamine therapies are off-label therapies, meaning that they are not FDA approved even though ketamine is FDA approved for an aesthetic purpose. Any medication can be used for other purposes outside of its original intended use, such as aspirin therapy which is not FDA-approved for the treatment of heart attacks. insurance companies do not cover this treatment, although we can provide you with a super bill, which is a listing of codes that describe what you received and the amount that you pay. This can be submitted to your insurance for out-of-network coverage potentially. You can use an HSA card to pay for the treatment as well.
Below is an example of the super bill with the codes highlighted:
What are the costs for the treatment at NOVA Health Recovery Ketamine?
There is a medical and mental health evaluation that takes approximately 45 minutes initially, and that cost is $350. The infusion of ketamine can be done on the same day, and each ketamine infusion is $480. The average cost to do a series of six infusions is about $3200.
Consultation cost: $350
Each infusion of ketamine: $480
The home-based ketamine costs approximately $100 to $120 per month and is used for micro-dosing purposes.
Is there a payment plan?
We do accept care credit , which is a medical credit card offering six- or 12-month interest-free financing options. You would need to apply at care credit
We do accept HSA cards or any credit card or debit card.
How do I get started with ketamine therapy?
If you don’t have any medical problems that would prevent immediate treatment, you can email us (NOVA Health Recovery ) or call at 571 – 999 – 2118
We do require a $200 deposit to hold an initial evaluation and infusion spot that would go towards the total cost of your payment.
We do not require a referral to get started.
It is helpful to bring your medical records and mental health records, but that is not absolutely necessary either.
Once you are scheduled for the appointments, we will send you an extensive series of intake forms that help us manage your care best.
What are the steps for Ketamine Therapy Treatment?
The condition that is being treated must be appropriate for ketamine. We evaluate this with our initial phone consultation with the individual. The level of expectations for results and the need for ongoing maintenance therapies are discussed.
Conditions Does Ketamine Treat?
Treatment-Resistant Depression
Bipolar Depression
Anxiety
Multiple Painful Conditions
Depression
Suicidal Thoughts
CRPS|RSD
OCD
Fibromyalgia
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Neuropathic Pain
Phantom Limb Pain
Post-Herpetic Neuralgia
PTSD
Trigeminal Neuralgia
Cancer Pain
Addiction – Cocaine, Alcohol, PAWS
Ketamine is a treatment that will make underlying medications work better, allow an individual to succeed in their traditional psychotherapies, or allow one to diminish medications that may be causing side-effects. For some conditions, such as depression, statistically significant benefits can be mentioned, such as 70% of patients have improvement of remission in their depression. On the other hand, for other conditions, such as OCD and chronic pain, the established data is not so clear.
Who can receive ketamine therapies?
Anyone is a candidate if they are medically stable. If there are medical issues, a medical clearance may be needed.
Do I need a Referral?
NOVA Health Recovery Ketamine Center does not require a referral, but some medical problems may require further evaluation before the treatment is started. We can manage medication adjustments and set up follow-up therapist visits. We can also address and treat mental health conditions such as ADHD, depression, and anxiety with traditional medications.
The Consultation Process
In order to assess whether Ketamine is the right choice for you, we conduct an initial mental health screening using various questionnaires and a comprehensive assessment. We assess cognitive loss with screening tests as well as lifestyle modifications and supplements that can enhance the outcome of therapy. We can address substance use disorders , pain , and obesity-related issues that can be involved with mood disorders. The consultation involves a deep dive into your mental health journey as well as evaluating medical conditions and lifestyle choices that can impede recovery.
The Preparation Process
It is best not to eat for four hours prior to the visit. Liquids are fine. Take your usual medications. Medications such as Clonazepam, Ativan, and Lamictal are fine to take as well and should not be tapered as that will cause more distress. Keep your usual doses of medications the same.
Clear your mind of any stress. Unload your schedule or routine of excess tasks for the day,
Prepare an ambient musical selection or a ketamine playlist
Find eyeshades, weighted blanket, and noise cancelling headsets.
Focus on one issue that you may want to resolve.
Remember that neuroplasticity is what you want, and that occurs whether you have an excellent infusion experience or not. You do not have to dissociate to have efficacy.
Therapy sessions are best done the day after an infusion.
The mood elevation and dissociation of the infusion is a side-effect of ketamine and not the cure. Neuroplasticity is the result.
.
The Infusion Process
After the initial assessment, we will schedule your infusion sessions, which generally can start the same day if appropriate. Before receiving each infusion, we will need to verify that you have arranged transportation (such as family or an Uber) in order to leave the clinic as you will not be able to drive for the next several hours until the effects of Ketamine wear off.
On the day of the infusion, patients will be taken into an exclusive infusion area. An I.V. will be started as painlessly as possible, using cold spray if needed. We utilize exceedingly small I.V. needles typically used in pediatrics. We will check your vital signs and answer any further questions. During the procedure, you will be lying in a comfortable lounge chair for the entire duration of the 45-minute infusion sessions. We can offer Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy for an additional fee, or you can even have your own therapist join you for your session. We utilize Phillips Hue lighting, aromatherapy, as well as ambient music through a SONOS system for those who do not headsets. It is good to use noise-canceling headsets to prevent any extraneous sounds from affecting your experience.
How Often do I Need to Receive an Infusion of Ketamine?
Initially, the series of 6 is used for depression, anxiety, OCD, and bipolar disorder. These are done twice or three times a week. It is best to not let more than 5 days go between infusions. CRPS and neuropathic conditions may require multi-day 4-hour high-dose infusions.
What Does a Ketamine Infusion Feel Like?
Each infusion is different. We initiate doses at a therapeutic level of .5 mg/kg IV of ideal body weight over 40 minutes. Doses can escalate for each infusion up to 1 mg/kg over 40 minutes.
We will generally have you wear a scopolamine patch and take Ondansetron prior to arrival. We offer an array of medications to keep comfort to a maximum should you feel nauseated or anxious.
Patients have described the infusion on a number of levels. Many describe initially feeling numbness and tingling, heaviness, and a sense of relaxation initially.
The Empathogenic experience of ketamine includes a sense of body awareness, reduced ego defenses, empathy, warmth, love, and peace. For others, euphoria and a dreamy state are pronounced emotional states.
Out-of-body experiences occur at higher doses, in which one feels a departure from their body, loss of identity, an experience of being a single point of consciousness, or even mind-death (psychological death). Others may feel they are part of collective consciousness and have transcended normal time and space or being at unity with nature and the universe.
Ketamine offers a shift in the usual ways of being and viewing oneself and the world. It is effectively a time-out from your ordinary mind. Ketamine infusions offer relief from depression and a reset for a new consciousness. The relief of depression is accompanied by a relief of negativity.
The Recovery Process
We will closely monitor you throughout the IV infusion process. You will be attached to our monitors and our infusion team will ensure that you are safe until the treatment is complete. After the procedure, you will stay in your room until you feel comfortable, and the medical staff has evaluated you for safe discharge. The main side effects are dizziness, nausea, and balance control issues that resolve within one to two hours. Driving is not permitted for four hours.
When Can I return to work?
Many patients will work the next day or even several hours after their infusion. The dissociative and mind-altering effects are gone within 20 minutes after an infusion. Any good feelings or changes you notice the next day or later that day are due to the neuroplasticity of ketamine. Again, driving is prohibited for four hours. You otherwise will be fully functional in between infusions.
How Often Can I receive Ketamine Infusions after my series of infusions?
We recommend that every 2-4 weeks that you receive a booster infusion. If symptoms worsen, you can return more frequently.
Submit
