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

No, Bluewater Psychiatry 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.

For five hours prior to your ketamine infusion, please avoid the following: solid foods, orange or pulp-filled juices, or opaque soups/broths. Clear liquids (i.e. water, clear broths, apple or white grape juice, some teas, etc.) may be enjoyed up until two hours before your infusion. Avoid alcohol, drugs, and other narcotics. These substances are extremely dangerous in combination with ketamine infusions. If you believe you have a problem with drug or alcohol abuse, please contact us or your mental health practitioner.

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.

The therapeutic dose used in our practice 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.