Administering ketamine safely
There are important safety standards any clinic should uphold that is providing ketamine treatment.
What to look for in a ketamine provider
There are some things to look out for when you’re searching for a ketamine infusion provider. Here’s our advice, based on more than a decade of experience.
TMS headaches: What to expect and how to manage them
TMS is non-invasive, convenient, and generally well-tolerated – often with minimal side effects. Temporary headaches are the most common side effect of TMS. The magnetic stimulation targets neurons in the brain; however, nearby facial muscles and nerves can also be affected. The contracting of these areas can be a cause of headaches during and after treatment. TMS technicians can adjust treatment to minimize discomfort, Tylenol and Advil can help, rest and hydration can help, and any headache pain should subside with time following treatment.
Does integration matter?
Ketamine is already effective on it’s own — but it can become more effective and its benefit longer-lasting through the aid of therapy and integration work.
TMS for OCD
Originally used to treat depression, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) has proven to be a transformative treatment option for many people with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Wells Medicine offers accelerated TMS protocols designed to target severe and treatment-resistant OCD symptoms, providing a path toward rapid and lasting relief.
What does TMS feel like?
During TMS treatments you’ll hear the machine and you may feel mild sensations, some muscle twitching, or nothing at all. After treatment you may notice some temporary headache pain or scalp discomfort. The experience can be a bit odd, but it is broadly well tolerated and generally comfortable.
Repetitive vs. Accelerated TMS – What’s the difference?
TMS treatment is evolving, and patients now have more options to fit their lifestyle and mental health needs. New protocols provide effective symptom relief and require less time in the office. Both repetitive and accelerated TMS are great for treating severe or treatment-resistant symptoms of depression, anxiety, OCD, and other mood disorders.
The History of TMS
TMS is an advanced treatment option, originally developed in the 1980s, with a growing body of research and use. Therapeutic use has expanded beyond depression for the treatment of additional conditions and symptoms, with a variety of machines, and a growing selection of protocols.
Why you won’t be sedated for your SGB
We don’t use sedation to administer stellate ganglion blocks. Here’s why you don’t need sedation, and what we do to make the procedure as comfortable as possible.
Why you should journal after ketamine
Journaling after ketamine treatment can help you get the most out of your infusions.
Do SGBs hurt?
Stellate ganglion blocks feel a bit like a flu shot, and we’ll guide you through the procedure the whole time.
TMS is targeted
TMS is focused and targeted — it targets one specific condition in one specific region of the brain.
How to find your own stellate ganglion
Before ultrasound or x-ray, stellate ganglion blocks were done entirely by feel. You can still use these techniques to find where your own stellate ganglion is located.
Side effects of a stellate ganglion block
We expect to see some side effects following a stellate ganglion block, and they are a good way to know that the procedure has been done correctly.
Do SGBs erase traumatic memories?
Stellate ganglion blocks reduce the stress response of traumatic memories, but they do not alter your memories of your traumatic experiences.
Walking through your stellate ganglion block
The procedure for a stellate ganglion block, broken down step-by-step.
Do you need another ketamine series?
If you are returning to ketamine treatment after a long break, you may need to start with more than one infusion to find relief.
Nitrous oxide for mental health
Nitrous oxide inhalation treatment is quite similar to ketamine treatment, and may be a good alternative for some patients to treat their depression or anxiety.
Reasons why treatment isn’t working
Whether you’re just starting treatment or have been going for a long time, there are some reasons why you may not be seeing the efficacy you expect from treatment.
Colors of ketamine treatment
Many people see colors during their ketamine infusions. What these colors are, and how they change over treatment, can offer interesting insight.
Why choose IV for ketamine treatment?
There are many ways to administer ketamine to the body, but the best way to do it is through an IV.
Your ketamine induction series
Ketamine treatment starts with a series of 6 infusions. Here’s what you can look out for after each infusion, and some of the ‘homework assignments’ we give at each appointment.
What patients bring to treatment
We welcome you to bring things that you find comforting or useful to your ketamine infusion appointment.
Goldilocks ketamine dose
We work from the standard weight-based ketamine dose to find the optimal dose for each individual patient — not too much and not too little, but just right — toward the best possible results.
Music for your ketamine infusion
Music can help set the tone of your ketamine infusion. Here are recommendations from our patients.
Dual Sympathetic Reset vs Stellate Ganglion Block
A Dual Sympathetic Reset is a Stellate Ganglion Block with two targeted injections.
Take advantage of neuroplasticity
Your brain is remarkably flexible. Both ketamine treatments and TMS promote neuroplasticity — a state where the brain becomes more malleable and receptive to change. This creates a powerful window of opportunity to accelerate improvements in your mental health.
Ketamine VS esketamine for mental health
Esketamine, the active ingredient in Spravato, makes up half of racemic ketamine, which is used in most other ketamine treatments. While both medications are used to treat mental health, they have different levels of effectiveness.
Ketamine’s impact on the bladder
Ketamine’s potential impact on the bladder can be real, but you shouldn’t see it from clinical IV infusion use. When administered appropriately, ketamine is a safe and effective treatment for mental health with minimal side effects.
The stigma behind psychedelic medication
The “war on drugs” resulted in a great stigma against psychedelic medications, including ketamine, and stalled medical research and progress in treating mental health.
How ketamine fits into your treatment plan
Ketamine treatment can rapidly and effectively treat anxiety and depression for many people. However, it works best as part of a holistic approach to improve and sustain results.
Combining TMS and ketamine treatment
CTK, or Combined TMS and Ketamine treatment, may increase the benefit you can see from either treatment alone.
Less-common treatments for mental health
What if you’re looking for an interventional mental health treatment that seems like something we might offer, but isn’t listed as one of our provided treatments? We may still be able to provide it for you.
Are ketamine treatments ok for adolescents and the elderly?
People of all ages may benefit from interventional treatments for mental health, but there are some extra considerations for children and teenagers, and for much older people as well.
Insurance coverage for TMS
Insurance covers TMS in some cases but coverage is limited. Insurance is unlikely to cover advanced protocols, rapid treatments, complex cases, off-label indications, or other conditions and indications. A direct patient care model can offer the best available approach to TMS without insurance.
Dealing with trauma during ketamine treatment
Thoughts or feelings associated with trauma don’t typically surface during a ketamine infusion, unless you choose to actively bring them up. And, overall, ketamine can be a good option for PTSD, CPTSD, and other conditions or symptoms of trauma — by themselves or with other treatments such as SGBs.
How to get home after treatment
For ketamine treatments, we ask that you refrain from driving after treatment, which means you’ll need a ride home following your appointment. For most other treatments at our office, you may drive yourself after your appointment.
Why you can’t eat before a ketamine treatment
There are several good reasons to avoid eating or drinking before a ketamine treatment — including what we call ‘the burrito effect.’
The vibe of ketamine
Each psychedelic feels different, and ketamine is generally associated with visual sensations. The feeling or vibe is highly malleable and affected by all manner of things — especially music during an infusion.
What does a stellate ganglion block treat?
The Stellate Ganglion Block – also called SGB, sympathetic nerve reset, dual sympathetic reset, or sympathetic block – targets the sympathetic nervous system. Often employed for pain relief, stellate ganglion blocks have increasingly been used for PTSD and other mental health conditions with fast-acting and impressive results.
Insurance coverage for stellate ganglion blocks
Insurance does not generally cover stellate ganglion blocks for mental health. The procedure is well established, but generally only covered for use in pain conditions (and even then it may not be consistently covered). It remains an excellent treatment option — especially considering its effectiveness and durability.
What does TMS treat?
TMS leverages sophisticated equipment and targeted protocols to deliver great results for depression, anxiety, OCD, and other conditions. Growing fundamental and clinical data support more ways to help more people with a wider range of conditions and symptoms.
TMS can be an excellent option for many people, often providing good results even when other treatments may not have worked.
One-Day TMS
One-Day TMS is a form of accelerated TMS that condenses treatment down to a single day. Early research points to excellent and durable results.
What does ketamine treat?
Ketamine was originally developed for anesthesia and analgesia. It has a long history as an extremely safe and effective drug and continues to be used widely for medical procedures and emergency medicine around the world.
A substantial and ever-growing body of research and clinical evidence has shown that ketamine is extraordinarily effective at treating depression, anxiety, and other conditions — with high rates of success, with strong and durable results, and for many people with treatment-resistant symptoms.
As research expands, our understanding of what ketamine may be used to treat continues to expand.
The surprising similarity between TMS and ketamine
TMS and ketamine are both highly-effective interventional treatments for mental health symptoms and conditions, including depression, anxiety, OCD, and other mood disorders and some pain conditions. They look wildly different at a quick glance, and they rely on totally different technologies. And yet, they have surprising similarities — not just in what they can help treat, but also in how they work.
Why you needn’t worry about your IV
We work to make IVs comfortable, including using the smallest sizes available.
Safe treatments during pregnancy and breastfeeding
Interventional treatments may be useful and appropriate options for postpartum depression and other mental health conditions during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
What decreases ketamine’s effectiveness?
Some medications, behaviors, and life circumstances may decrease the effectiveness of ketamine treatment.
The meaning of your ketamine journey
The experience of a ketamine infusion can be profound, but it usually isn’t, and it doesn’t have to be.