IV Ketamine Therapy in Jacksonville

Ketamine is a medication consistently used as a surgical anesthesia around the world for more than 50 years with children, adults, and animals.  About 20 years ago, Ketamine’s ability to relieve depression, anxiety, and some pain disorders in less than 24 hours after administration was stumbled upon by researchers. Follow-up studies replicating the rapid results have changed researchers’ understanding of depression, revitalizing an area of medical research that has been stagnant for almost three decades.  

SSRIs in various forms have been the standard antidepressant treatment since the 1980’s. This treatment is based on the idea that depression is caused by a lack of certain chemical levels in the brain, specifically serotonin.  Ketamine interacts with an entirely different protein in the brain, allowing for a quick repair or replacement of neuron pathways in the brain.  Researchers are only beginning to understand how Ketamine works and are looking at what causes the temporary nature of the repair.  They are also looking for other ways to replicate the relief aspects of Ketamine without duplicating the side effects so that the relief to patients is extended.  

Stress causes damage to the communication systems in our brains.  The areas responsible for memory, learning, and high-order thinking are broken down as a result of depression, anxiety, and pain.  Ketamine promotes an environment in the brain where the materials necessary to make repairs to this damage are encouraged to work quickly.  Ketamine therapy, administered by qualified medical professionals, is currently helping patients with formerly untreatable major depression, postpartum depression, the depressed part of bipolar disorder, PTSD, OCD, pain syndromes such as Fibromyalgia and CRPS or RSD, and addictions to rapidly experience relief of their physical symptoms, improving both mood and function – and producing hope.

For more than 50 years, ketamine has been used in surgery for children, adults, and animals, as well as for trauma patients, such as those in burn units or battlefield situations. Administered in small doses, ketamine relieves the physical symptoms of severe depression almost immediately for many patients.  Although the effects of each ketamine treatment are not permanent, they can last for days or weeks.   

Ketamine has been classified as a Schedule III controlled substance by the US Drug Enforcement Agency since ketamine became a popular club drug and began being used as a date-rape drug in the 1990’s.  It was about that same time that researchers stumbled upon ketamine’s mood stabilizing properties.  Administered in a professional manner, ketamine has positively changed, and sometimes saved, the lives of many who have long suffered from debilitating depression and pain.