Ketamine Assisted Therapy

What is ketamine?

Ketamine is a drug that has been used in anesthesia since the 1960s. It was first used in psychiatric treatment in the early 1970s, but was considered an unproven, radical treatment for many years. More recently, a growing body of research has shown that ketamine can be a safe, highly effective treatment for psychiatric conditions. Although ketamine is not technically a new drug, it is newly accepted as an evidence-based treatment in mainstream psychiatry.

How does ketamine work? How is it different from other antidepressant and antianxiety medications?

Most antidepressant and antianxiety medications work by changing levels of the monoamine neurotransmitters serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine. Ketamine has minor effects on these neurotransmitters, but its predominant effect is on glutamate. This is why it can work even when other medications have failed.

By modifying glutamate neurotransmission, ketamine reduces damaging excitotoxicity and inflammation, and increases levels of Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF), which increases neuroplasticity. In a nutshell, it helps your brain heal and create new neural pathways, and helps you develop new, healthier thought patterns, leading to improvement in psychiatric symptoms.

What is Ketamine Assisted Therapy?

At Owl & Eagle Health and Wellness, we provide ketamine treatment as part of Ketamine Assisted Therapy. In Ketamine Assisted Therapy, psychotherapy is provided during and after ketamine treatments. Ketamine helps patients relax and open up during psychotherapy, and psychotherapy helps patients process through memories, thoughts, and experiences that occur during ketamine treatments. Research shows that Ketamine Assisted Therapy is more effective than ketamine treatment without therapy.

What does Ketamine Assisted Therapy help with?

Ketamine Assisted Therapy can be used to treat depression (major depression, persistent depression, bipolar depression, and treatment resistant depression), anxiety, PTSD, and OCD. Ketamine Assisted Therapy can be particularly effective for processing psychological trauma and reducing the severity of symptoms of trauma related psychiatric disorders. Most patients find that after completing Ketamine Assisted Therapy, memories and reminders of traumatic experiences are much less distressing.

How effective is ketamine?

Ketamine is remarkably effective for the majority of patients who complete a full course of treatment. Clinical trials have shown that ketamine achieves clinically meaningful improvement in up to 70% of patients, even when they have tried multiple medications unsuccessfully in the past. With Ketamine Assisted Therapy, the effects are even stronger and longer lasting.

Is ketamine safe? What are the side effects?

When ketamine treatment is administered to patients age 18 and up, and monitored by trained psychiatric professionals like our providers, it is very safe.

Severe adverse effects are very rare, but include elevated blood pressure, difficulty breathing, allergic reactions, bladder problems, and psychosis. Ketamine should not be used by people who have uncontrolled hypertension, cardiovascular disease, pulmonary disease, thyroid disease, liver disease, kidney or bladder disease, substance abuse disorders, psychotic disorders, or a history of heart attack, stroke, or conditions that cause elevated intracranial or intraocular pressure.

Common side effects include nausea, dizziness, impaired coordination, and drowsiness. Your provider will give you instructions for what to do before and after treatment to minimize the risk of side effects.

Is ketamine addictive?

Ketamine can be addictive if used inappropriately, ie: recreational use or chronic administration. When prescribed and administered appropriately, ketamine is not addictive.

Do I have to stop my current psychiatric medications to have Ketamine Assisted Therapy?

You should continue taking your current psychiatric medications while undergoing Ketamine Assisted Therapy. However, after treatments are completed, some patients can reduce their dosages or even stop some of their medications. If you would like to try to reduce or discontinue any of your medications after completing Ketamine Assisted Therapy, discuss this with your provider. If appropriate, they can help you taper down or off safely. 

What are Ketamine Assisted Therapy treatments like at Owl & Eagle Health and Wellness?

Ketamine Assisted Therapy treatments at Owl & Eagle Health and Wellness are very different from what most other ketamine clinics provide. Most clinics put patients in a medical exam room, hook up the IV or administer an injection, and leave you alone during treatments, which can be scary.

We use sublingual ketamine lozenges, so there are no needles involved. Sublingual lozenges absorb through the tissues in your mouth so they don't have to be swallowed. This avoids breakdown of the medication in the GI tract, and helps prevent nausea. Sublingual ketamine takes effect more gradually and gently than IV or IM ketamine. This can make treatments more comfortable, and the effects last much longer, which allows for a long therapy session during each treatment. The bioavailability of sublingual ketamine is lower than that of IV or IM, so we adjust your dosage so you can get the full therapeutic effects.

Treatments are provided in a very cozy, comfortable room that looks like a living room. You will never be left alone during the treatments, your provider will be with you the entire time. If you like, we can use aromatherapy and music to create a very relaxing, spa-like environment.

We also provide psychotherapy during your treatments, which is not typically included. Most clinics either do not provide therapy at all, or they do not provide therapy concurrently with the ketamine treatments. Research has shown that Ketamine Assisted Therapy can enhance and prolong the benefits of ketamine treatment.

Each treatment is about 2-3 hours long. Your provider will meet with you, take your vital signs, and complete some pre-treatment assessments. They will administer the medication and monitor you until it starts to take effect. You will receive psychotherapy while you are under the influence of the ketamine, and when you start to come out of the effects, you will have an integration session to help you process what you experienced. Then your provider will check your vital signs again, complete post-treatment assessments, and make sure you are recovered and ready to go home. Then you can relax and journal until your driver arrives to take you home.

After Ketamine Assisted Therapy, you shouldn’t drive or do anything complicated or potentially dangerous for the rest of the day. Just take it easy, eat some healthy food, drink lots of water, and rest. You should be ready to resume normal activities the day after each treatment.

What does Ketamine Assisted Therapy feel like?

Each session is different. Sometimes patients feel very floaty and relaxed, and sometimes a lot of memories or thoughts come up. Sometimes patients want to talk a lot during treatments, and sometimes they want to be quiet during the treatment and talk during the integration session afterward. Sometimes they feel like they are going on a journey or seeing different things, sort of like dreaming while awake. Patients might also experience time or space differently. Colors might look more intense, and things might look a little distorted. Patients sometimes get a feeling of connectedness, or a sense of awe or euphoria. Patients often describe the experience as powerful and profound, but difficult to explain.

What if I have a bad trip or freak out, or have a medical problem?

If you start to feel anxious or agitated, your provider will be there to help you through it. If you have side effects, your provider can assess you and respond. In the very unlikely event of an emergency, your provider is trained to provide CPR and will call 911.

Is ketamine treatment or Ketamine Assisted Therapy covered by insurance?

Currently, insurance companies consider ketamine experimental for use in psychiatry, so they don’t cover ketamine or Ketamine Assisted Therapy.

How much does it cost?

Ketamine treatments typically cost about $400-800 per treatment, but they do not usually include Ketamine Assisted Therapy. At Owl & Eagle Health and Wellness, treatments are $550 each, and Ketamine Assisted Therapy is included with every treatment. We recommend a course of 10 treatments, which we have found produces the best and most long-lasting results.

We understand that this is a significant investment, but if your mental health and quality of life improves, it really is worth it. To help with affordability, we offer a 10% discount for payment in full upfront, or we can set up an interest-free payment plan for up to 6 months. We want Ketamine Assisted Therapy to be accessible to as many people as possible.

How do I get started with Ketamine Assisted Therapy?

Call 303-736-9697 and ask for a ketamine consultation. We will get you set up as a patient, get some information about you and what symptoms you are experiencing, answer any questions you may have, and schedule you for an intake appointment.

What if I have an intake visit but I decide I don’t want to go through with Ketamine Assisted Therapy, or Ketamine Assisted Therapy is determined not to be a good treatment for me?

The intake appointment, where you can talk to a provider and make sure Ketamine Assisted Therapy is right for you, is typically covered by insurance if we are in-network with your plan. If it turns out Ketamine Assisted Therapy is not appropriate for you, your provider can discuss alternative treatment options with you, so you can get the help you need even if you don’t go forward with ketamine treatment.