How Long Does It Take For Ketamine Infusions To Treat Depression?

The Albany Clinic • Dec 16, 2022

Traditional and typical antidepressants affect the level of different brain chemicals, the ones that are related to emotions and moods. These drugs help a person a lot; however, if someone experiences something severe like a major depressive episode, then they would need something more effective. 

Ketamine is an effective dissociative drug that allows people who are struggling with depression to feel more normal and relaxed in their skin, which is a rarity for them because they are constantly feeling overwhelmed by their surroundings. Depression causes severe bouts of sadness, despair, and hopelessness, eventually leading to suicidal thoughts. 

While ketamine isn’t enough to qualify as a cure, it is more effective and lasting to be a better option for people with major depressive disorder. And considering more than 265 million people struggle with depression, a suitable and effective solution is due.

How Does Ketamine Treat Depression and How Long Does It Take? 

Ketamine works as it ties the receptors in the brain; these receptors produce a chemical called glutamate. Glutamate is a type of neurotransmitter (a neurotransmitter is essentially a chemical messenger). Transmitter’s task is to deliver messages to the neurons in your brain, which evoke different emotions. Glutamate is a neurotransmitter that is the most excitatory among the rest.

In simpler words, ketamine triggers an excitatory neurotransmitter that allows the person with depression to feel better and less burdened by despair.

 While experts are still investigating the role glutamate plays in depression, they are sure that it affects mood significantly. People who have any mental condition, especially depression, have shown extremely low signs of glutamates’ presence. Therefore, this is certain; low levels of glutamate increase depressive symptoms.

Additionally, ketamine improves the production of brain-derived neurotrophic factors. Protein plays a great role in neuroplasticity; in simpler words, it affects your brain’s ability to adapt to new things as you experience new experiences. And when ketamine supports neuroplasticity, it often helps change the negative thought process that occurs when one is depressed.

How Long Does It Take?

Another advantage that ketamine has that antidepressants don’t is that it doesn’t take as long. It works swiftly and effectively. You don’t need to wait an entire night for the effect to take place. In fact, if you take antidepressants, you already know that most of them take weeks before working. 

However, with ketamine, you can feel relief in about an hour or so. Depending on your state, you may feel it sooner even. That is how efficient it is; indeed, it can relieve you of the pain in a matter of an hour, if not sooner.

If you want an efficient and safe means of using ketamine, you should check out our clinic. We have considerate professionals who care for the procedure and help you feel comfortable in the setting. Our mission is to ensure the best experience for our clients, which includes their experience with our clinic.

Types of Ketamine 

Ketamine doesn’t just come in a singular form; it has a variety of methods. If you don’t like a specific style, you have other options to choose from.

Nasal Spray

There is a method called a nasal spray. You can use the nasal spray once or twice a week; however, you can only do so for four weeks. After four weeks, your care team or provider will study and thoroughly analyze your symptoms before recommending you further treatment.

Intravenous Therapy (IV)

This is a continuous and slow IV drip that will deliver ketamine into your system slowly but surely. The procedure will be directly injected into your bloodstream.

Intramuscular Therapy (IV)

This is an IV where you receive your injection with the most available mass, for instance, your thigh or your shoulder. The area with the most muscle is where the specialist IV will inject the needle.

Final Thoughts

Ketamine has more than one type of treatment method, and it is a relatively new drug on the market. However, despite all the odds, it has gotten exceedingly popular, and high-authority people are establishing this drug as a treatment option for not only depression, but also anxiety, PTSD, OCD, and all other types of mental health conditions. 

The most beneficial quality that sets it apart from every other drug is that it takes little time to impact the person. Depending on the person’s state and the application method, it minimally takes 1 hour or a little over that.

Contact us at The Albany Clinic for reliable, safe, efficient ketamine treatment and valuable consultation.

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