Ketamine Infusion Therapy
Ketamine IV therapy is a successful treatment approach to address the symptoms of pain and depression. Ketamine anesthetic has an advantage over other anesthetics because it does not depress the patient’s circulatory system or hamper their breathing. Ketamine infusion treatments are also used as a pain killer in case of severe injuries.
Ketamine has earned recognition from the WHO, which lists it as one of only two anesthetics as an ‘essential drug’. The essential drugs recognized by the WHO are typically included as a part of the national drug policy in several countries. The Ketamine Clinics of Los Angeles, led by board certified anesthesiologist Dr. Steven L Mandel, provides ketamine therapy to patients in Los Angeles and Beverly Hills, California, and surrounding locations.
Procedure
Although ketamine can be administered through oral or nasal spray routes, the Ketamine Clinics of Los Angeles only chooses to administer ketamine via IV infusion. Only the IV deliver is scientifically proven to work. A full course of infusion therapy includes a series of six infusions completed over two weeks with each treatment session lasting for about 50 to 55 minutes.
While the patient is undergoing ketamine therapy to address chronic pain or depression symptoms, they will be closely monitored by a team of fully trained and experienced nurses and the physician. At Ketamine Clinics, Dr. Mandel personally oversees each procedure. He is a board certified along with a master’s degree in psychology. This combination of skills helps him to perform ketamine therapy more scientifically and effectively.
During the ketamine infusion treatments, Dr. Mandel and his team will use hospital grade equipment to monitor the patient’s blood pressure, pulse, oxygen saturation, and ECG. The patient will stay completely comfortable and awake during the procedure. Some patients may experience temporary symptoms of fatigue, dizziness and nausea, but these will quickly disappear.
With more than half a century of ketamine treatments using high doses and extensive research behind it, ketamine therapy has not led to any known long-term side effects. Dr. Mandel receives patients from Los Angeles and Beverly Hills and other cities across the SoCal landscape and nearby areas for ketamine IV therapy.
Outpatient Office Setting
Ketamine infusions are performed in an outpatient office setting, with no need for hospital admission or overnight stay. Once the treatment session is completed in less than an hour, the patient may stay for an additional few minutes at the doctor’s office before they are discharged. The physician may encourage the patient to have someone accompany them for at least the first visit.
Mild dissociation may be experienced by some patients during the infusion, but these are not hallucinations and only an altered reality. Most patients will remain completely comfortable anyway. In rare cases, if the patient feels uncomfortable, the infusion can be stopped, or a medication may be administered, which will instantly end the thoughts.
By the time the patient leaves the doctor’s office, they will be fairly normal. Some patients may choose to return to work or resume their normal routine immediately, while some other patients may prefer to go home and take a nap. The doctor may place the patient under a restriction of no driving until the next day after treatment.
For more information about treatments for depression, bipolar, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), fibromyalgia, pain syndromes and other conditions contact us at the Ketamine Clinics of Los Angeles in Southern California (Orange County) by clicking here or calling 310-270-0625
