Physician-led, interventional psychiatry experts
IV Ketamine
Treatment for MDD, GAD, PTSD, Eating Disorders and more
Fast relief for depression and anxiety
For depression
By treatment 9, 95.8% of patients showed improvement, and 41.7% achieved remission.
Among those with severe depression, 50.0% improved to mild or better
For anxiety
By treatment 9, 90.9% of patients showed improvement, and 54.5% achieved remission.
Among those with severe anxiety, 62.5% improved to mild or better
IV Ketamine is an emerging treatment option for patients with depression and other mental health problems. Experienced psychiatrist Karen Giles, MD, at Breakthru Psychiatric Solutions in Sandy Springs and Alpharetta, Georgia, specializes in innovative therapies like IV Ketamine infusions to treat moderate to severe depression and anxiety. To learn more about fast-acting IV Ketamine treatments and how they could benefit you, call Breakthru Psychiatric Solutions today or request an appointment online.
What is IV Ketamine?
IV Ketamine is an FDA-approved anesthetic drug used frequently in hospital settings. For treating depression and suicidal thoughts, although not FDA-approved, in significantly smaller doses, IV Ketamine has a powerful effect in treating people with acute depression and anxiety. IV Ketamine is fast acting and considered a go-to modality for people with severe depression and suicidal ideation. Breakthru Psychiatric Solutions offers highly personalized IV Ketamine treatments.
How does IV Ketamine work?
IV (intravenous) IV Ketamine treatment delivers a customized dose of IV Ketamine directly into your bloodstream with an infusion that lasts 40 – 60 minutes.
IV Ketamine works quickly to reduce negative feelings and boost your mood. Its fast-acting effects offer an advantage over many psychiatric medications, which typically take 4-6 weeks to start working.
Who might benefit from IV Ketamine?
IV Ketamine can be an effective treatment for patients struggling with:
- Treatment Resistant Depression
- Major Depressive Disorder
- Major Depressive Disorder with suicidal ideation
- Anxiety
- Bipolar depression*
- PTSD*
- OCD*
- Eating disorders*
IV Ketamine offers an innovative option for patients with moderate to severe depression, treatment-resistant depression, and depression with anxiety who have not responded to medication and therapy alone.
*Dr. Giles does not do medication management for these disorders. IV Ketamine treatment is offered in conjunction with your primary psychiatrist for PTSD, OCD, and eating disorders.
What does IV Ketamine therapy involve?
IV Ketamine infusions involve placing a needle in an arm vein. The needle attaches to a tube called a catheter, which in turn connects to a bag of IV Ketamine solution. The IV Ketamine drips steadily down the catheter and into your arm over 40-60 minutes.
Dr. Giles uses doses of IV Ketamine that are much lower than those used for anesthesia, so you will remain awake; however, you may notice mild dissociative feelings.
You might experience side effects from your IV Ketamine therapy such as mild nausea or dizziness. If you do, these feelings usually pass, however, if they are uncomfortable, Dr. Giles has medication to treat them. A qualified staff member supervises you at all times throughout the treatment.
In the induction phase, IV Ketamine infusions are administered 2-3 times per week for 2-3 weeks. At Breakthru, we strongly encourage our patients to follow the induction phase with a 6 treatment taper protocol over 6-12 weeks. This is done to support each patient’s unique response and remission. While the effects of IV Ketamine do not typically last longer than one month, Dr. Giles can utilize other strategies such as pharmacogenetic testing for medication changes or the implementation of TMS to significantly extend the effect.
To find out how IV Ketamine can improve your depression, call Breakthru Psychiatric Solutions today or request an appointment online.
Why choose Breakthru?
Schedule your consultation today to learn more about IV Ketamine.
Call or Request a Consultation
Frequently asked questions
Is IV Ketamine covered by insurance?
IV Ketamine is not covered by insurance since IV Ketamine is not FDA-approved for the treatment of depression.
What are common side effects?
IV Ketamine may cause mild side effects of nausea, headache, dizziness, increase in blood pressure and heart rate, and dissociation, which are temporary and only occur during infusion.
Can I receive IV Ketamine treatments in conjunction with Spravato or TMS treatments?
While waiting for prior authorization from insurance companies for TMS or Spravato, we often start patients with IV Ketamine as a way to quickly and effectively address the most severe symptoms of chronic depression.
How long am I in the clinic?
Most patients are in the clinic for 2 hours/treatment.
Can I drive home afterwards?
No, you need someone to drive you home because IV Ketamine can impair your reaction time. You can drive after a good night’s sleep.
Is somebody with me for the entirety of the treatment?
Our clinical staff observes and supports our patients 100% of the time during treatments. Most patients request that clinicians are not in the room for the duration of treatment; however, patients are always continuously monitored.
Does a physician have to be present to administer IV Ketamine?
In the state of Georgia, a physician must be present for all infusions. At Breakthru, not only is a physician present, but a psychiatrist is present for all infusions.
What is the difference between IV Ketamine and Spravato?
When considering interventional treatments for chronic, treatment-resistant depression, it can be overwhelming to tease apart all the important details. We’ve put together an easy comparison chart to help you see the facts quickly and easily. You can download it here.
Can I do IV Ketamine treatments at home?
In recent years, IV Ketamine has exploded onto the mental health scene due in large part to a groundswell of positive scientific studies. However, not all forms of IV Ketamine are equally effective or safe. Dr. Giles highlights the different forms of IV Ketamine currently available and the current medical findings associated with taking IV Ketamine at home in this blog post.