Ketamine Treatment

Because ketamine infusion therapy requires ketamine to be infused via an intravenous (IV), ketamine therapy can’t be prescribed, taken orally, or delivered virtually. Treatment must take place at our comfortable, aesthetically pleasing Shore MA ketamine clinic location. Learn more about how to get started by filling out our intake form.

Our caring, experienced staff understands that you may feel concerned or anxious about undergoing ketamine treatment – particularly during your very first treatment. Our team of skilled experts will make every effort to put you at ease and address any of your concerns during your ketamine infusion treatment.

After a thorough psychiatric evaluation by our staff psychiatrist and medical director Dr. Jan Urkevic, ketamine is administered as an IV infusion by a nurse or nurse practitioner. Infusion time varies, but you should expect your infusion itself to take at least 40 minutes. The dose administered is substantially lower than the doses used for anesthesia. This means there is no loss of consciousness and the patient remains awake and comfortable throughout each treatment.

Other than possible nausea symptoms (discussed below), it’s very rare for patients to experience any side effects after ketamine infusion treatment. We do ask patients to hang out at our facility for at least 15 minutes post-treatment on the rare occasion that they may experience difficulty with walking or experience a fall.

On average, patients experience a great improvement in symptoms after their six initial infusions and generally continue with maintenance doses every one to three months, depending on efficacy of the treatment.

Each individual’s ketamine treatment experience is unique to them, but some common feelings, mood changes, or sensations that our patients have reported include:

• A very relaxed feeling, including feeling like you are floating or having an out-of-body experience
• A sense of feeling more open or vulnerable
• A temporary loss of sense of self and an escape from your past or present
• Double vision or the ability to see colors more brightly than normal

Our team of compassionate experts will be with you throughout your treatment program and will safely and comfortably guide you thru any thoughts, feelings, and sensations you are experiencing – whether they be uncomfortable or simply new to you.

You should make arrangements to be dropped off and picked up at our offices on the day of your ketamine infusion therapy.

Some clients report feeling a little nauseous post-treatment. To minimize the possibility of developing nausea, it is recommended you avoid eating or drinking for three hours prior to treatment. If you feel the need to eat or drink something for health-related reasons, keep portion sizes small.

As we explain on our Ketamine Treatment FAQs page, you DO NOT need to stop using prescribed psychological medications before treatment. In fact, you should not make any changes to any of your prescribed medications unless directed to do so by a healthcare professional. Such medications are not known to interfere with ketamine therapy, and therefore, you do not need to discontinue or lessen the use of any prescribed medications; however, it is possible that benzodiazepines, such as Valium and Ativan may reduce the positive impacts of ketamine, although there is no research indicating that. You shouldn’t stop taking or reduce the amount of any prescribed medication you are taking without discussing it with the prescribing healthcare provider first.

While you can continue with medications prescribed by your healthcare provider, you should NOT use any recreational drugs while you are undergoing ketamine infusion treatment.

Our nurse will need to insert an IV in your arm or hand. Some patients find it helpful to drink more fluids and have less caffeine prior to treatment as IV insertion often is easier and done more quickly when a patient is not dehydrated and, therefore, veins are plumper and more easily accessed. We understand that if your treatment is scheduled for first thing in the morning, it may be difficult to balance hydrating for IV purposes with fluid abstinence for the three hours leading up to treatment to minimize nausea. If you know yourself to be someone who has experienced difficulty with IV insertion in the past, you may want to schedule your appointment later in the day to allow for you to strike the right “fluids” balance.

As described above you may experience some temporary feelings, thoughts, or sensations that are different from what you regularly experience on a day-to-day basis. To make your treatment experience as comfortable as possible for you, please bring a willingness to share with our caring and skilled team anything you experience that is new or uncomfortable for you, and to ask questions. Our team is there to ensure your safety and comfort throughout the entire process. 

Many individuals who receive ketamine infusion therapy report feeling better within a few hours of receiving their first infusion. Patients who struggled with self-harm thoughts prior to treatment may notice a reduction in those thoughts as one of the first signs of ketamine effectiveness. Some patients report not noticing any positive shift in their mood until the day after treatment. In other cases, patients may not notice a change in their mood and depressive symptoms until after all six initial treatments have been completed.

Each patient's experience with ketamine infusion therapy differs. While some patients report benefits from ketamine treatment lasting up to 3 months; all patients should experience benefits for at least a month. 

Other than some short-term nausea in the hours after ketamine infusion treatment, no other short-term or long-term negative side effects have been reported by patients participating in studies or by our own patients.