Ketamine Treatment
Debunking The Stigma
Replacing Fiction with Fact
Ketamine, at therapeutic doses, has a very low potential for dependency, unlike opioids. When administered by medical professionals at the dosing and schedule used to treat mood and pain disorders it is considered safe and effective.
Ketamine is not inherently dangerous but rather has a proven safety record as a dissociative anesthetic.
Ketamine is not a miracle cure. It is a treatment that has been proven to work quickly and in the majority of patients.
The risk of a “bad trip” is highly uncommon when administered in a controlled environment with titrated dosing. Such events are associated with recreational abuse of the drug.
The warped view of ketamine as a horse tranquilizer is sensational but in fact, many drugs are used on both humans and animals.
Ketamine does not cause mental illness or psychosis. The psychedelic or dissociative state one experiences with ketamine may well contribute to its therapeutic effect.
The History & Science Behind Ketamine
Did you know? For decades, research into the development and symptoms of depression focused on neurotransmitters like serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine, but modern research has shifted to the neurotransmitter glutamate.
Why is that important? It is important because ketamine works by blocking the NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) receptors causing an increase in glutamate. This increased glutamate causes a cascade of events which results in the release of BDNF (Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor).
Now, you are probably wondering what is BDNF. It is a specific protein that is important for normal brain connectivity. Stress and anxiety inhibit the production of BDNF. That is why patients with serious mood disorders, such as depression and anxiety, have been found to have diminished neuronal connections. Ketamine can actually help reverse this process.
Think of it as “rewiring” the brain. Ketamine, by allowing for increased glutamate and enhancing the release of BDNF, encourages healing by the regeneration of damaged connections. It allows for neuroplasticity, which simply put, is the capacity of neurons and neural networks in the brain to change their connections.
No more waiting months to feel better
Ketamine has the ability to provide relief fast
What Mood Disorders Can Ketamine Treat?
MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER (MDD)
If you are one of those 350 million people worldwide suffering from major depressive disorder who still continues to complain of symptoms even after completing your course of treatment, you are not alone. Many patients treated for MDD are found to be unsatisfactorily treated. Ketamine is now offering hope to you and others who suffer this debilitating condition. Research has shown that a series of low-dose ketamine infusions help improve symptoms in 70% of those individuals studied. The relief has been within hours for some and have covered a variety of symptoms. Do not continue to suffer. Let Mindful Infusions of Tennessee design a ketamine treatment regimen tailored to your specific needs and goals.
POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD)
Whatever traumatic event triggered your PTSD, ketamine may offer relief from the anxiety that predominates your life. You do not have to continue to have your life ruled by your past experiences. Antidepressant medications, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) are frequently prescribed for PTSD. Unfortunately, they can come with unwanted and serious side effects. Ketamine IV therapy can bring relief quickly and with minimum side effects.
Do not let unwanted thoughts or flashback govern your life.. Take control by taking the first steps toward a better life.
OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER (OCD)
Are you one of those people who experience distressing thoughts that cause you to perform certain activities over and over again? If so, you may be suffering from OCD, a disorder in which people have recurring, unwanted thoughts, ideas or sensations (obsessions) that make them feel driven to do something repetitively (compulsions). Of course, not all rituals or habits are compulsions. Everyone sometimes does a double check. But, if you are having trouble controlling your behaviors, don’t get pleasure when performing them and find that they are interfering with your daily life, whether it be work, school or your personal relationships, know that help is here. Ketamine therapy is a new way forward for those like you.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
BIPOLAR DISORDER
Many people find themselves elated one day just to find themselves crashing the next day and being extremely depressed. Even though the manic periods can be euphoric, the depressed stages, which can drag on for weeks, can be unbearable. If this sounds like you, you may be suffering bipolar disorder which is characterized by rapid and extreme mood swings between depression and mania. Treating mental illness is a significant challenge and bipolar disorder has proven to be one of the most challenging mental illnesses to treat. It also has one of the highest risk of suicide among all psychiatric disorders. Fortunately, there has been a breakthrough in treating bipolar disorder using low-dose ketamine infusions.
Traditionally, bipolar disorder has been treated with mood stabilizers, such as lithium. These drugs often are accompanied by adverse side effects that can impair an individual’s ability to lead a normal life. Research has found that ketamine can be highly effective for treating the depressive phase of bipolar disorder. Studies have shown that it can help patient’s experience less depression, fewer anger outbursts, fewer night terrors and less suicidal thoughts. In general, ketamine appears to help the brain cope with the extreme feelings of pain and agony that can arise due to bipolar disorder. Contact us at Mindful Infusions of Tennessee to see if we can help.
POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION (PPD)
Having a new baby can trigger an array of emotions but what most mothers, and even some fathers, are not expecting is to feel depressed. Postpartum blues is experienced by 70-80% of new mothers. When this persists for longer than 4 weeks and includes more severe symptoms, it is considered postpartum depression. About 10-20% of new mothers will experience PPD and it usually will present within 4 weeks of delivery. Ketamine has been shown to produce an antidepressant effect in those suffering from depressive disorders, such as postpartum depression.
Ketamine works by blocking the N-Methyl-D-Aspartate (NMDA) receptor from activation by the glutamate neurotransmitter. Mothers suffering from postpartum depression have been found to exhibit altered glutamate levels. Ketamine may also increase the levels of serotonin and melatonin while decreasing levels of inflammation, which can contribute to the mother’s overall wellbeing. Ketamine is used safely as an anesthetic medicine in cesarean section and may also help alleviate pain. Mindful Infusions of Tennessee is here to help you start enjoying your newborn.
SUICIDAL IDEATIONS
Suicidal ideation refers to thinking about, making plans for, or attempting suicide. People who experience suicidal ideation often feel hopeless, helpless, and trapped. They may see no other way out of their pain and suffering. Normally, suicidal ideations are treated using antidepressants, antipsychotic medication, psychotherapy, and hospitalization. However, these treatments often take weeks or months to work, and some people do not respond to them at all. This is where ketamine comes into the picture.
Ketamine has been shown to significantly decrease suicidal ideations within 24 hours, making it an effective emergency deterrent against suicide. Ketamine’s rapid-acting mechanism offers a much-needed lifeline for those who are in the midst of a suicidal crisis.
What Chronic Pain Conditions Can Ketamine Treat?
MIGRAINE HEADACHES
You don’t have to live with the debilitating effects of migraines anymore. Even though migraines can be notoriously difficult to treat, ketamine has the potential to effectively relieve even your worst migraines. Whether or not your migraines are episodic or chronic, do not continue to have your work, social life and your sleep affected by them when ketamine infusion therapy may help.
COMPLEX REGIONAL PAIN SYNDROME (CRPS)
If you are someone you love is suffering from Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) you are probably all too aware of how this pain condition isn’t well understood and often is misdiagnosed making the proper treatment difficult to obtain. Ketamine infusion therapy may offer hope. No longer does a simple bump of your arm or touching something cold heve to ilicit the disporportionate intense, severe pain.
NEUROPATHIC PAIN
Anyone who suffers from neuropathic pain knows all too well the symptoms of such slow, aching, chronic pain – numbness, tingling, loss of sensations (touch, pain, temperature, pressure), and many, many more. The peripheral nervous system, which works to receive and send signals to and from the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord), is the target. The major determinant of this neuropathic pain is the underlying cause commonly involving diabetes, trigeminal neuropathy, post herpetic neuralgias (shingles) and post-stroke pain. Ketamine is a promising therapy for such pain.
Treatment of neuropathic pain is unique and difficult. Ketamine is a potent NMDA antagonist and has been used extensively to treat acute and chronic pain. NMDA receptors are believed to play an important role in neuropathic pain and blocking them has been shown to be an effective and promising treatment for neuropathic pain.
FIBROMYALGIA
Fibromyalgia is a chronic pain disorder that affects approximately 4 million Americans. The cause of fibromyalgia is unknown, but it is thought to be related to changes in the way the central nervous system processes pain signals. Symptoms include widespread muscle pain, fatigue, sleep problems, and cognitive difficulties. There is no cure for fibromyalgia, but ketamine can help lessen the symptoms and improve your overall quality of life.
Phantom Limb Syndrome
Phantom limb syndrome (PLS), also known as phantom limb pain, is a chronic condition that causes people to experience pain and other uncomfortable sensations in a limb that has been amputated. PLS is a relatively common condition, affecting an estimated 6 in 10 amputees, according to a study published by the National Library of Medicine. Phantom limb pain can also affect other body parts and organs, such as a missing ear, breast, or appendix.
Cancer Related Pain
Chronic refractory pain is one of the most prevalent complications of cancer and cancer treatments, affecting up to 90 percent of patients, according to a study published by the National Center For Biotechnology Information. Despite the high incidence, cancer pain is often under-treated due to a lack of effective pain therapies. Between the low efficacy and the potential dangers posed by prolonged use of traditional chronic pain medications like opioids, many cancer patients endure ongoing pain with no hope for relief. Fortunately, ketamine can help lesson the symptoms and improve your quality of life.
