Ketamine is a drug with sedative and pain-relieving effects. Ketamine is considered one of the biggest breakthroughs in treating depression in years. Ketamine is an alternative to people that have tried traditional anti-depressant medications but have not seen the results they desire. Ketamine is not a new drug and began as an anesthetic during the Vietnam War.

From Scientific American, “Although better known as a party drug, the anesthetic ketamine has spurred excitement in psychiatry for almost 20 years, since researchers first showed that it alleviated depression in a matter of hours. The rapid reversal of symptoms contrasted sharply with the existing set of antidepressants, which take weeks to begin working. Subsequent studies have shown ketamine works for patients who have failed to respond to multiple other treatments, and so are deemed treatment-resistant.”

At Oklahoma Interventional Spine and Pain, we offer Ketamine infusions. It is important to note that Ketamine infusions are considered “off label” because the FDA has not yet approved Ketamine for depression. Although considered “off label”, over 300 clinics across the U.S. are administering Ketamine for depression safely and effectively.  Moreover, Ketamine has been used successfully for chronic pain management.

One of the biggest benefits of Ketamine is how quickly patients feel the results. Whereas traditional antidepressants take weeks to feel improvement, patients using Ketamine infusions typically see results in only hours. This is a game-changer from those suffering from depression.

If you are interested in learning more about Ketamine treatments at Oklahoma Interventional Spine and Pain please call (918) 728-8020.