What Is Ketamine Therapy and How Does It Work?

Ketamine treatment can be an effective strategy for patients struggling with depression. McLean Hospital provides both intravenous ketamine and FDA-approved intranasal esketamine, or Spravato, to qualifying patients.

Learn more about ketamine therapy, how it works, and what you might expect at a treatment appointment.

How Does Ketamine Work?

In the brain, neurons communicate with each other across synapses. Ketamine appears to enhance this communication in certain regions of the brain.

During treatment, patients are monitored for side effects. These may include increased blood pressure, nausea, and dissociation. Medications can be given to reduce these side effects if they occur.

Pregnant patients and those with aneurysms, arteriovenous malformations, intracerebral hemorrhage, recent heart attack, or concerning substance use should not undergo ketamine therapy. The long-term consequences of both treatments are not yet known.

Find Out if Ketamine Is Right for You

McLean’s Ketamine Service offers treatment in our Belmont and Middleboro locations.

Our consultants can help you and your psychiatrist decide if ketamine treatment is appropriate for you.

If the consult recommends either esketamine or IV ketamine treatment, patients will be scheduled for a screening medical evaluation. If there are no concerns, patients can then meet with one of our registered nurses who will further review what to expect during the treatment experience.

Intravenous ketamine infusions last 40 minutes followed by 90 minutes of monitoring. Esketamine treatments are self-administered under nurse supervision, followed by 120 minutes of monitoring.

Both therapies require a first stage of intensive treatment over a one-month period. Additional treatments may be needed to maintain the antidepressant effect.

McLean’s dedicated team strives to provide effective ketamine and esketamine treatment to help patients achieve relief from symptoms of depression.