Ketamine Before and After: What to Expect After Ketamine Infusion Therapy

Do you know what to expect after a ketamine infusion for a mood disorder or chronic pain?

What is it like immediately after ketamine treatment and a day after ketamine treatment? What is it like just before the first IV ketamine session?

If you are considering ketamine therapy for depression, anxiety, OCD, PTSD, chronic pain, or neuropathic pain, you may already know how “before ketamine” feels. There is often a mix of anticipation and trepidation about how you will feel after your first session.

For example, people with obsessive compulsive disorder may worry about OCD tics going away. Will they finally be able to stop compulsive eye blinking, abdominal tensing, shoulder shrugging, swallowing, or throat clearing?

People with OCD go through life trying to hide embarrassing symptoms from the people around them. The harder they try to make these tourettic OCD tics go away, the more intense the compulsion is to continue them.

Chronic pain sufferers wonder if they will be able to go through their day without pain holding them back. Pain makes it difficult to function, so a person with chronic or neuropathic pain simply gives up activities that were always a part of their life.

Imagine going for morning walks every day of your life, but now you simply cannot tolerate getting out of bed, due to neck or low back pain. Or, if you have foot neuropathy, maybe you cannot stand to walk very far.

After ketamine treatment: Does a single infusion treatment session of IV ketamine therapy make a difference?

In many cases, there is symptom relief after the initial ketamine infusion therapy treatment. Patients with bipolar disorder notice fewer and less intense manic episodes. People with suicidal thoughts have fewer thoughts of self-harm.

The positive effect of the medication and therapy combined are noticeable early on. However, it is important to not get discouraged by a lack of progress after the first IV infusion, or even the second.

The full benefits of ketamine infusion treatment are realized after a full series of IV therapy. Subsequent infusions will bring additional benefits and symptoms relief.

If a patient is coming in for pain management, they should expect some pain relief with initial treatments. Yet, if they are not satisfied with improved functioning and pain relief after the first few sessions, it is important to complete the full series.

Also, you must communicate with the clinical staff of your ketamine clinic. It is possible for the medical staff to modify your treatment plan, medication dosage, and ketamine assisted psychotherapy, to improve treatment response.

How will I feel immediately after the ketamine experience?

Many patients describe a calm, floating sensation during their IV treatment. As the session ends, and the medication wears off, there is a relaxing, refreshing sensation.

Patients report getting flashes of inspiration and new perspectives on their life. For example, a person with depressive disorder may see clearly what changes they can make to improve their situation.

In addition to psychotherapy, integration therapy can help at this stage. The ketamine integration therapist works with the patient to help them make sense of visions and flashes of inspiration.

Additionally, the patient may feel dizzy and a bit disoriented. This is normal, since the ketamine is still wearing off. It is important to have a family member or friend to drive you home from each ketamine session.

If you feel weak, or not ready to have a conversation, there is nothing to worry about. As the ketamine leaves your system, you will return to full alertness, able to function fully within a short time.

Will my depression symptoms be gone for good after completing my ketamine infusion series?

IV ketamine therapy is excellent for treatment resistant depression. When antidepressant medications have not helped, ketamine infusion treatment is a good next step.

After completing a series of six or more sessions, the patient may wonder if their severe depression is now a thing of the past. Will they require ongoing maintenance treatment?

In most cases, maintenance infusions are not necessary. However, some patients choose to return periodically for a booster infusion.

Additionally, TMS therapy works well in conjunction with ketamine to improve mental health by reducing depressive thoughts and major depression symptoms. TMS is a treatment that uses a magnetic field to generate a current in specific brain structures to reduce depressive symptoms.

Please contact us to learn more about the best ketamine infusion Maryland has to offer. We offer, by all accounts, the finest ketamine treatment Maryland residents and residents of the Washington Metropolitan Area have experienced.