Ketamine infusions are effective for 70-75% of individuals.

No, Emerge Ketamine does not require a referral for treatment. We do require access to some of your medical records to help determine if ketamine therapy is medically appropriate for you. We integrate seamlessly with your current care team, sharing your treatment plans and tracking your progress with validated metrics like the PHQ-9

Ketamine infusions are effective treatments for severe depression, bipolar depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), pain syndromes, addiction, and other mental health conditions. At Emerge Ketamine, our focus is on both mental health conditions and chronic pain treatment.

Ketamine is administered intravenously very slowly over 40 minutes. The first 20 minutes of your infusion will have no noticeable effects. At around 20 minutes, you may notice blurred or double vision, a feeling of “lightness” or “floating,” and sometimes numbness in the toes or area around your mouth. During the final 20 minutes of the infusion, these feelings tend to build; the medicine is at the peak of its intensity at the very end of your treatment. Other common feelings include euphoria, talkativeness, a feeling of being in a dream-like state, heightened senses, and a feeling that people often describe as “weird, odd, different, or interesting.” Less commonly, people may experience anxiety, headache, nausea, or sweating.  These feelings will subside 10-15 minutes post-treatment.

Any side effects you may be experiencing from your infusion generally wear off after two hours. However, we ask that you please refrain from driving or operating heavy machinery for 24-hours post-infusion. If you are receiving your treatment in-office, please arrive at your appointment with a friend or family member who can drive you home afterward. 

A single infusion typically lasts anywhere from 2-14 days. A series of six infusions can last anywhere from weeks to months, and often a single booster infusion taken as the effects are wearing off can restore your brain’s response. For those who have not suffered from long-standing chronic depression, the effects of your ketamine infusion may last much longer.

By eating well, exercising, engaging in talk therapy, and finding social support, you may find the best effects of ketamine infusion treatment. That is all easier said than done and depressive symptoms oftentimes prevent individuals from following these suggestions. Your ketamine infusions may enable you to act on these important activities. Ketamine changes the communication pathways in your brain, allowing you to learn more easily and make new connections. Those of our patients who capitalize on this unique window of time and pursue healthier diets, exercise regimens, and social habits tend to experience the most positive results.

The therapeutic dose used by Emerge Ketamine does not meet the criteria for being physically addictive, though tolerance to its effects may occur with prolonged exposure. If abused, it may pose the risk of being a psychologically addictive substance.

No, you should not stop any prescribed antidepressant medications or other treatments including talk therapy. Ketamine infusion therapy is to be used as an additional intervention that can and should be discussed regularly with your prescriber.