Frequently Asked Questions

Ketamine is a FDA approved anesthetic agent originally developed in 1962. It has been used primarily as an induction agent for general anesthesia in surgery for children, adults, and animals. Ketamine has a remarkable safety track record, hence its use in the pediatric population. Recently, it has been discovered that ketamine can be highly effective in treating depression, PTSD, Fibromyalgia, and other conditions. Learn More

Ketamine for depression may be administered any number of ways – orally, sublingually, intranasally & intramuscularly. Because of the unpredictability of response in these other routes of administration, however, intravenous ketamine infusions have emerged as the preferred route of administration.

Also, the overwhelming majority of research and scientific studies about ketamine for depression and other psychiatric disorders have been performed using intravenous ketamine.

The infusion itself takes about 1 hour, but there are activities that occur before and after the infusion. The infusion is administered under the direction and supervision of an anesthesiologist. Patients receiving a Ketamine infusion should plan on being at the clinic for about 90 minutes per infusion.

The low doses of ketamine used in therapy, especially administered in a medically supervised setting, eliminate virtually all potential for addiction or abuse.  For the duration of a ketamine infusion, blood pressure and heart rate may increase – therefore patients with uncontrolled blood pressure, unstable heart disease, untreated thyroid disease should not use ketamine. People with active substance abuse, active psychosis, or patients who are currently experiencing the manic phase of bipolar disease also should not use ketamine treatments. Ketamine is contraindicated during pregnancy. Patients undergoing treatments are monitored closely to ensure safety during the acute course.

A direct referral from a psychiatrist is not required. While a referral from any mental health care provider is encouraged, an initial phone or office consultation with one of our doctors can determine if you are a good candidate for ketamine therapy. We provide this initial consultation free of charge.

Currently, we do not accept insurance. Insurance companies vary on coverage for ketamine treatments, and you are welcome to apply for reimbursement; we will provide you with the necessary documents to do so. Our experience shows that about 10-20% of patients seeking treatments for mental health are receiving some reimbursement.

We remain optimistic that insurance companies will soon recognize the effectiveness of ketamine and begin providing better coverage for patients. We can generate a superbill that you can submit to your insurance company. You may receive costs back, or it might be applied to your deductible. If you have any further questions please reach out.