umsami Posted April 20, 2017 Share Posted April 20, 2017 If anybody out there has any experience with ketamine infusions for severe clinical depression, can you either PM me or post below? Have a loved one who has cycled in and out of severe depression for years. Been very excited by the small studies showing results with psychadelics, and the fact that ketamine is legally available now in some clinics gives us new hope. Psilocybin and LSD currently are only available in university clinical trials, which are few and far between. For those who haven't heard of it, basically some studies suggest that even 1-2 infusions of ketamine can make a giant difference for those with severe clinical depression as well as other things like OCD. Unlike most anti-depressants, there isn't a 6-12 week before one sees results or knows if it's working. There have been some clinics that have sprung up around the country that offer this. Usually, it's about $500-$600 per infusion....not covered by insurance. They recommend 12 infusions, but most say you can tell if it will work after the second infusion. To see how ketamine affects the brain, check out this article: https://www.theguardian.com/science/2017/apr/19/brain-scans-reveal-mind-opening-response-to-psychedelic-drug-trip-lsd-ketamine-psilocybin Ketamine and Depression:https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2016/mar/03/depression-medication-fda-psychadelics-ketamine-psilocybin-johnson-and-johnson-mdma Thanks in advance. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bzymom Posted April 20, 2017 Share Posted April 20, 2017 PMing you 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wapiti Posted April 20, 2017 Share Posted April 20, 2017 (edited) I recall reading that dextromethorpan can work similarly at the NDMA receptors (as in, Walgreens Wal-tussin DM gelcaps, at normal adult dose, though obviously ketamine is probably a high-dose situation, so I'm not sure how those are compared). I don't really remember, but if the receptor is blocked, when it is unblocked there can still be excess glutamate waiting, such that symptoms may return. In that light, it's probably a bandaid approach but if there can be temporary relief, that's definitely something to consider. I would do a lot of googling/reading about what to expect after the effect wears off, especially if you can find articles at pubmed. (ETA, when I have tried to google this topic in the past, a lot of unsavory discussion websites come up) Edited April 20, 2017 by wapiti 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terabith Posted April 21, 2017 Share Posted April 21, 2017 I've read about it. Have wondered about feasibility... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoughCollie Posted April 21, 2017 Share Posted April 21, 2017 https://www.nimh.nih.gov/labs-at-nimh/join-a-study/trials/adult-studies/rapid-antidepressant-effects-of-ketamine.shtml Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted April 21, 2017 Share Posted April 21, 2017 No direct experience here, but you might find this book interesting: https://www.amazon.com/Really-Good-Day-Microdosing-Difference/dp/0451494091 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sassenach Posted April 21, 2017 Share Posted April 21, 2017 Dh did a 5 day infusion for CRPS. It didn't work for him, but that's a totally different thing than depression. The infusion itself went smoothly. The recovery period (getting it out of his system and feeling human again) was WAY longer than we anticipated- about 10 days. That caused a lot of anxiety, because he started to panic about whether it was going to be permanent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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