Eligibility for Ketamine Therapy?
Ketamine treatment requires a thorough assessment and approval intake process and is crucial to the success of any potential treatment.
- Schedule an initial no-charge, 15 minute telephone consultation with our clinic director, Steve Gittelman. He will discuss your specific situation, explain the treatment protocol and pre-screen for contraindications to determine if Ketamine may be an appropriate treatment in your specific situation. .
- Once the initial consultation is complete and it's determined that you may be a good candidate for treatment, we email you a link to our patient portal to complete a full medial history, answer several mood questionnaires, complete a records authorization release form (ROI) and complete patient privacy and clinic policies forms.
- Steve Gittelman reviews your submitted medical history and provides a recommendation to move forward in the intake process by requesting a Ketamine treatment referral or asking for an assessment to provide a medical/psychiatric clearance specific to Ketamine treatment
- We request a Ketamine referral from your referring provider or schedule a full psychiatric assessment with our psychiatric nurse practitioner. If you choose to obtain a referral from your current psychiatric provider, we send the signed ROI and Ketamine treatment referral form directly to that provider.
- Once we receive the referral form or assessment report, Steve Gittelman reviews all reported information.
- If approved, we then schedule the initial series of infusions.
The intake process must be completed before any Ketamine treatment is approved and scheduled
Please note: All new mood patients requesting infusion treatment must have a recent (within the last 6 months) psychiatric assessment by a provider such as a psychiatrist, psychiatric nurse practitioner, or physician. We happily accept referrals from your current provider if they meet the following requirements- full psychiatric assessment that includes:
- an evaluation for Ketamine that includes an assessment and clearance of the medical and psychiatric contraindications of Ketamine treatment
- all diagnosis and corresponding diagnosis codes
- prescribed medications
- specific referral for Ketamine treatment.
Once that psychiatric assessment is complete or we have received you psychiatric referral and a Steve Gittelman has cleared you for infusions, we then schedule your initial series of infusions.
We are scheduling initial infusions approximately 5 to 10 days out once the intake process is complete.
What is the price for Ketamine infusions?
For the initial series of Mood disorder infusions the protocol is to complete 6 infusions over the course of 2 to 3 weeks for the most effective treatment. Each infusion in the initial series is $415. Each infusion in the initial series includes all Ketamine medication, all co-administered medications, infusion and recovery time, integration with a certified psychedelic guide, and advanced medical monitoring by an advanced practice healthcare provider. Mood infusions are scheduled for 90 minutes in the clinic that include preparation, infusion, and recovery time. We also collaborate with your current therapist for post infusion psychotherapy and integration support.
Maintenance infusions done after the initial series is complete, are $385 each.
Chronic pain infusions require a consultation with Steve Gittelman due to the extended time, complexity of treatment, and potential use of sedation.
Ketamine treatment contraindications?
There are several patient safety contraindications to Ketamine treatment for underlying conditions such as uncontrolled hypertension, certain heart diseases, certain types of stroke, bladder diseases, elevated pressure in the eye, and certain psychiatric diagnoses that do not respond to Ketamine. There are certain medications and or diagnoses that Ketamine would exacerbate such as schizophrenia, active psychosis, or active mania. The issues listed are not inclusive and not intended to convey every contraindication to Ketamine treatment which is why a psychiatric assessment specific to Ketamine is extremely important and directly correlates to the potential success of Ketamine therapy. Patient safety and providing the most effective treatment is our highest concern.
What are the age limits for Ketamine treatment?
We have current patients ranging from 14 to 91. We have extensive experience treating pediatrics and collaborate closely with those patient's current providers to determine if Ketamine is an appropriate.
Is Ketamine therapy a scientifically proven treatment?
It’s real. Ketamine treatment is an IV infusion administered in a specially-equipped medical office by a nationally board certified registered nurse anesthesiologist and registered nurses.
It’s not hype. The National Institute of Health has been studying Ketamine for depression for more than ten years. There is scientific research proving the effectiveness of this treatment, which means controlled, double-blind, peer-reviewed studies at major institutions. Researchers at Yale pioneered this research nearly 20 years ago and published the first major study in 2000. Since then, dozens more Ketamine studies have been conducted at Yale and other major institutions including NIH, The VA, Harvard, Johns Hopkins, Mt. Sinai Medical School, Oxford University, and many more around the world.
Can Ketamine relieve Depression, PTSD, Suicidal thoughts, bi-polar or OCD?
About 75% of patients with treatment-resistant depression (including bipolar patients, experience rapid relief after a low-dose Ketamine infusion. Similar success rates have been seen in returning combat veterans suffering from PTSD. These patients’ cases are the worst of the worst, lasting years or even decades, and have not responded to any other treatments. Many have hovered on the verge of suicide for years, many have actually attempted suicide, and endured a very poor quality of life. Before Ketamine therapy, there was virtually no way to substantially improve the condition of severe mood patients. Ketamine can work rapidly and can result in partial or complete remission of symptoms in a short period of time.
How long does Ketamine treatment last for depression and chronic pain?
The research shows that a series of 6 treatments over 2 to 3 weeks can provide remission lasting months. Some patients can go 3-6 months before needing another single treatment while some may need one treatment every 1-2 months.
What is Neuropathic Pain? Does Ketamine treat chronic pain?
Neuropathic pain, also known as nerve pain, is a type of chronic pain that occurs when nerves in the central or peripheral (or both) nervous system become injured or damaged.
It is a complex, chronic pain state that usually is accompanied by tissue injury. With neuropathic pain, the nerve fibers themselves might be damaged, dysfunctional, or injured. These damaged nerve fibers send incorrect signals to other pain centers. The impact of a nerve fiber injury includes a change in nerve function both at the site of injury and areas around the injury. If you or someone you care about has nerve pain, you know that it can erode quality of life.
What are some of the causes of Neuropathic Pain?
This is a partial list of causes:
- Alcoholism
- Amputation
- Chemotherapy
- Diabetes
- Facial nerve problems
- Multiple myeloma
- Multiple sclerosis
- Nerve or spinal cord compression from herniated discs or from arthritis in the spine
- Shingles
- Spine surgery
- Thyroid problems
Does Ketamine treat chronic nerve pain?
Yes. Just like the success seen with mood disorders, scientific research has demonstrated Ketamine a very effective treatment and similar 75% to 80% efficacy depending your the specific diagnosis. The mechanism of action is different than the medications used for acute pain such as dilaudid, percocet, vicodin, morphine and others. Ketamine blocks the NMDA receptors in the brain from receiving a constant barrage of input from pain receptors. Results are often seen in 1-2 hours. Long term relief requires a series of infusions.
Ketamine for Addiction: What to Know
Ketamine produces an opioid sparing effect (mu opioid sparing and opioid potentiation) and many patients are able to reduce their opioid intake by as much as 50% or more. Some patients are able to permanently eliminate opioids.