Ketamine therapy, whether administered intravenously or in pill form, can be a valuable treatment option for certain mental health conditions and chronic pain disorders. Ketamine therapy has shown remarkable effectiveness in providing rapid relief for conditions such as depression, anxiety, PTSD, and even chronic pain.
Not only is the body rapidly responsive, ketamine therapy can have long-lasting effects, with relief persisting for days or even weeks after just a single treatment. For those who haven’t responded to other, more “traditional” treatment options, this can be literally life-saving.
Additionally, ketamine may have a positive impact on neuroplasticity, promoting the growth of new synaptic connections in the brain. What does this mean? Simply put, ketamine therapy can help rewire thought patterns and emotional responses for improved moods and mental state.
But that’s not all. Ketamine also plays with some of the brain’s other messengers like serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine — the chemicals that affect your mood, motivation, and even how you perceive things. By tweaking these, ketamine can give your mood a bit of a lift and help you see things from a different perspective.
Still, while the benefits are clear no matter how ketamine is ingested, choosing IV over pill does have a few advantages.
The choice between IV therapy and pills depends on various factors, including the patient’s specific needs and the condition being treated. Here’s why we recommend the intravenous treatment:
IV ketamine has a much faster onset of action compared to pills. When administered intravenously, ketamine can start working within minutes, making it a more suitable choice for acute conditions like severe depression, anxiety, or suicidal ideation.
It allows for precise dosage control, ensuring that the patient receives the right amount of ketamine based on their individual needs. This level of control can be critical for achieving the desired therapeutic effect — oftentimes this dosage is lower, helping patients avoid over consumption. With IVs, the administration of ketamine is based on individual patient needs, tailoring the treatment to the specific condition and symptom — no blanket measurements needed.
And, because of the controlled administration and lower overall dosage needed for therapeutic effects, IV ketamine therapy may have fewer side effects, such as nausea or dissociative experiences, compared to ketamine pills. This can be particularly important for patients who are sensitive to the drug’s effects.
Since IV therapy is administered in a medical setting, it necessitates constant monitoring by healthcare professionals which ensures patient safety and manages any potential adverse reactions on the spot.
For all these reasons, ketamine continues to rise in popularity and may be beneficial for you. If you’re curious to see if it could be a fit, schedule your appointment online today!