Ketamine Clinic in Los Angeles Treats Depression With 85% Success Rate

By  //  February 18, 2020

Depression is by far one of the most common ailments of the modern age. It is not that it is a newfound disease, on the contrary, depression has been around since the dawn of time, affecting all of God’s creatures not only humans.

Depression is by far one of the most common ailments of the modern age. It is not that it is a newfound disease, on the contrary, depression has been around since the dawn of time, affecting all of God’s creatures not only humans.

However, only recently has the stigma against depression been removed and the public is accepting it as an actual disease rather than what our grandparents would call a mere “nuisance”.

The term that was once thrown around lightly as an interchangeable word for feeling down, the World Health Organization (WHO) identifies depression as a “common mental disorder affecting more than 264 million persons of all ages globally”. 

Grades of depression vary from one person to the next, however, in extreme cases it can lead to suicide, especially among teenagers who often lack the experience of processing such intense emotions.

Modern science has made some notable leaps when it comes to finding a cure for depression.

One of the recent treatments is Ketamine Infusion Therapy. Below, you will learn more about this type of treatment and how a Ketamine Clinic in Los Angeles reports an 85% success rate in depression treatment.

What is Ketamine?

Ketamine is well known as an FDA approved anesthetic drug that has been used for a few decades now in hospitals everywhere. Recent studies have shown that in small doses, Ketamine can be very potent in treating depression as well as moderate to severe anxiety.

Ketamine works on suppressing stress and depression receptors in the brain in order to relieve the accompanying symptoms. It is claimed to show results within a matter of hours after treatment.

Ketamine Infusion Therapy can only be taken under supervision from specialized doctors and healthcare providers. 

When Can Ketamine Be Used?

Ketamine is newly prescribed for those who suffer from depression that interferes with their day-to-day life and gets in the way of living a normal and healthy life.

We all go through moments of extreme sadness and frustration, yet, it cannot be diagnosed as a case of depression.

Symptoms of depression and their severity vary greatly from one patient to the next, however; some of the most common ones are:

  • Inexplicable exhaustion
  • Drowsiness and an overall feeling of restlessness
  • Sadness or constantly crying for no certain reason
  • Loss of interest in various activities
  • Reluctance to social interactions

These are all common symptoms that depression patients usually report. Symptoms can come and go sporadically or they can keep recurring after specific situations.

However, when the above symptoms persist, doctors can name depression as a viable diagnosis much easier than with symptoms that occur on an occasional basis.

Does Ketamine Work on All Types of Depression?

Even though different kinds of depression have the same symptoms, they vary in the cause(s) that triggers them. 

  • Clinical Depression, for example, is the most common form of depression. Patients usually experience it episodically throughout the courses of their lives.
  • Postpartum Depression is identified as the depression experienced by women after giving birth due to hormonal imbalances in the female body. However, there are new interesting studies claiming that fathers can experience such depression as well by association.
  • Situational Depression is the depression that occurs after an intense event like the death of a family member or going through a traumatic experience that sends the patient into a case of depression that might last long after the experience has elapsed.

According to a Ketamine Clinic situated in LA, Ketamine therapy is efficient in treating all of the above kinds and even more since it works by inhibiting the painful symptoms the patients experience regardless of the reason behind them.

What Does Ketamine Therapy Involve?

With Ketamine therapy, patients will usually start with an informatory session with the treating doctor in order to explain the nature of the treatment and the possible side effects.

The doctor will also get valuable information from the patient that is necessary for defining the suitable dosage. Age, family medical history, and current health condition are all factors that will determine the Ketamine plan for the patient.

Sessions will last anywhere from 45 minutes up to 4 hours, according to the severity of the case. Patients are hooked to an IV drip where Ketamine is released slowly into their bloodstreams.

Other than an occasional feeling of nausea, patients should expect an overall feeling of lightness where symptoms are alleviated and leave their bodies. Since some people use Ketamine recreationally to relax, patients can feel similar effects while receiving the treatment.

Patients will be given the option to lie down and listen to relaxing music in order to amplify the efficacy of Ketamine in relieving their depression symptoms.

According to the case and the designated treatment plan, the doctor will advise the patient to come back if another session should be needed. 

Why is Ketamine Different than Other Antidepressants?

Many patients complain that most of the drugs available for depression treatment exacerbate the symptoms and have multiple inconvenient side effects.

Unlike these drugs that work on affecting brain chemicals, Ketamine has a different mechanism that blocks receptors in the brain that interact with these chemicals.

Another main difference, especially important to women, is that there are no reports of Ketamine increasing the appetite and consequently causing weight gain like other antidepressants.

However, specialized doctors who use Ketamine for depression treatment advise that patients should continue with their medications while undergoing Ketamine therapy until a proper plan can be drawn to attend to their specific cases. 

How is the Success Rate of Ketamine Measured?

Special mood monitoring tools are used on the patients during and after their treatment session. Also, over the course of their treatment, measures are reported to improve over time indicating progress in the patients’ responsiveness to Ketamine for treating depression. 

People who suffer from depression, especially long-term cases are often desperate for any new treatment that claims such a high success rate as Ketamine.

Although over-expectations can sometimes come in the way of treatment, with Ketamine, since instant results are expected, this should not be a problem.

The most important thing is to undergo this treatment with guidance from trustworthy medical professionals. 

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