Understanding Ketamine Treatment for Depression Serving Bay Area, Los Altos CA

Ketamine has recently become widely used as a method of treatment for those with severe depression that has been insufficiently treated through other therapies, including for patients who are experiencing thoughts of suicide and have been diagnosed with treatment-resistant depression. There is an FDA-approved version of ketamine that is available for patients with severe depression that is otherwise hard to treat that can be administered as a nasal spray under close healthcare provider or doctor supervision to ensure that the proper dose is always administered and that vital signs can be assessed throughout the process. Ketamine is also frequently administered in other methods (such as intravenously or through subcutaneous injection) by physicians treating patients with severe mental health symptoms including those associated with depression, with ketamine-assisted psychotherapy being a very well-supported treatment option that has yielded very positive results in many patients.

Ketamine is a very strong drug, and it can be easily abused or misused if not provided to eligible patients in a controlled medically supervised setting. Not everyone who has depression will be deemed a suitable candidate for this course of treatment so a thorough examination will be provided by qualified healthcare providers to determine if this is an appropriate and safe therapy for you.

Those who may be eligible for ketamine therapy for depression will have the following:

• They have previously tried different combinations or dosages of medications and have not had sufficient or any symptom relief.
• Have previously undergone transcranial magnetic stimulation with insufficient results.
• Have not fully responded to group or individual cognitive behavioral therapy or other forms of talk therapy.
• Are not currently taking medications that interfere with ketamine.

Ketamine therapy for depression will not be the first-line defense but is an alternative method of therapy for those who have not yet found relief from other previously attempted strategies or treatments. For this course of treatment to be successful, patients need to be eligible in the above ways and will need to be able to properly prepare for treatment, following all recommendations and instructions provided by their supervising physician to ensure that it is as safe and effective as possible.

While the use of ketamine in therapy for treating depression is still one of the newer uses of the drug, the results provided from clinical trials and patient experiences have been very promising and positive. Currently, researchers are saying that around 75% of patients receiving ketamine as part of a treatment for their symptoms of depression have found it to provide long-term positive results. Not everyone responds well to ketamine, but vigorous assessments and examinations to determine eligible patients are being used to ensure that the treatment will remain safe and likely to be effective for patients who are deemed qualified. Once a patient has been assessed as a good candidate for treatment, the physician will work with the patient to ensure that the entire process is safe and effective and that treatment is halted if there are any signs of adverse effects.

Ketamine is generally considered to be a safe therapy option for those with depression, but all patients need to be aware of what ketamine is as well as the potential side effects. The therapy itself is considered to be very safe as the guidelines for ketamine therapy require that its use is solely under the supervision of a certified healthcare provider within a certified office or clinic space to ensure that there are medical professionals around to watch it be administered and to assess the vitals of each patient before, during, and after administration. Dosage and method of administration are essential in ensuring this treatment is safe and effective for patients, so having qualified medical supervision ensures that ketamine therapy remains a safe option for eligible patients. If you suffer from anxiety or depression and have not found more traditional methods of treatment to be effective for you, schedule a consultation with Bay Area Ketamine Center to learn more about our services and if we can provide you with an effective treatment option. We serve patients from Los Altos CA, Sunnyvale CA, Palo Alto CA, Stanford CA, Atherton CA, Cupertino CA, Santa Clara CA, Mountain View CA, Loyola CA, and surrounding areas.