Ketamine and the FDA-approved version Spravato® are gaining attention for treating depression that hasn’t responded or has not responded well enough to other medications, therapies, or both.

Spravato® must be administered in person at an approved center or clinic under the supervision of an approved clinician. At Heading Ketamine is also administered in person.

Our team offered a few ways to improve the experience receiving Ketamine or Spravato® and get the most out of treatment.

5. Follow Preparation Instructions from Your Care Team

“We conduct a thorough psychiatric consultation with a patient to establish the best route of care. If Ketamine or Spravato® is determined as the best next step our our clinical staff  follow up directly with instructions to prepare. Prior planning for schedule, travel arrangements, and understanding the DOs and DONTs help a patient feel more relaxed and safe going into their series,” shared Dr. Arif Noorbaksh, based out of Heading’s Trophy Club, Texas center which is just outside of Dallas Forth Wort.  

4. Remember, Your Questions are Welcome!

Unlike traditionally prescribed SSRIs, which can take weeks for symptoms to subside, Ketamine or Spravato® prescribed for depression can create change very fast.  The immediate effects of the medication create an altered state, and this experience (sometimes referred to as a ‘trip’) can feel surprising and unexpected.

During your consultation, and on the day of your sessions feel free to ask all of the questions that are on your mind. Your care team will be more than happy to walk you through any aspects that you might be nervous about, and also help you better understand the medication itself and how it works with your body for healing. 

3. Explore Your Intention 

Establishing an intention for treatment can improve the experience. You may have heard of having a ‘bad trip’. While remembering or processing experiences during therapeutic sessions is part of the experience, the mindset going in can improve your perception of the experience. 

Feeling prepared can go a long way to influence feelings of safety and calm, which in turn allow you to be more open to the immediate experience, and continue to integrate and optimize once the acute effects of the medication have worn off (and while the neuroplastic window is still most optimal.)

2. Meet with a Therapist Prior to Treatment and Soon After Treatments

Intentions shouldn’t be agendas, but rather frameworks for experience.  Be gentle with yourself as you consider prompts and affirmations.  A therapist can help with this!

If possible it is recommended to meet with a therapist prior to your first session to prepare. Andrea Marquez, a therapist at Heading in Austin, had this to say about preparation before interventional treatments, “I like to team my patients exercises such as body scanning, breathing practices, and self-soothing techniques. This can help them get back to the present moment if they become overwhelmed or surprised during their first Ketamine or Spravavto® experience.”

Likely your therapist will also want to see you soon after your sessions, within a day or two, to help you process the experience and set intention for the next. Integration has long been an aspect of psychedelic therapies, and academic study of this aspect of treatment is ongoing. After you have your initial sessions under your belt you and your therapist can shift from preparation and coping skills for the immediate treatment itself into understanding and integrating the ways in which Ketamine treatment can positively influence your goals for change. 

Regarding post treatment therapy sessions, Andrea also shared, “Over time I help patients work on thought processes that they may notice when they are in an interventional treatment. Together we unpack what came up. I also ask the patient what they feel will best support them. Sometimes it is just to hold space for those thoughts, and other times they desire a move towards change.” 

1. Stay Consistent

Ketamine offers fast relief for many patients who are struggling. But, the long-term outcomes are most optimal with consistency throughout a whole course of treatment, along with staying involved with follow up psychiatry and psychotherapy appointments. 

Typically Ketamine and Spravato® series are set for a series of several sessions across 11-12 weeks with additional maintenance as needed.  Attending all of the sessions in the prescribed cadence is important to the long-term positive outcomes that can be experienced from this course of treatment.

Ketamine and Spravato® open a window for change. But you are the one who is making it happen. If you need help making your treatment and follow up therapy talk with your care team about scheduling. Advocating for your care is a positive and powerful step in the healing journey. Mental health professionals are happy to help patients find the best rhythm of care that empowers you to say committed to the process. 

Ketamine is an exciting area of research, and it has the potential to help many people who suffer from depression, anxiety, and PTSD. If you or someone you know is considering using Ketamine for mental health treatment, consider setting up a consult with Heading where you could receive ketamine or Spravato® treatment in our centers in Austin or Dallas-Forth Worth.

Some psychedelic drugs, such as psilocybin and MDMA, how promise in treating depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. They do this by encouraging the growth of new connections between neurons in the brain. This ability of the brain to make new connections is called plasticity. However, exactly how these drugs promote plasticity has been unclear.

It’s important to develop related drugs that can promote brain plasticity without causing ‘a trip’. 

Dr. David Olson and his research team from the University of California, Davis, have developed a sensor that can tell which drugs that attach to a receptor called 5-HT2AR in neurons have hallucinogenic properties and which do not. This study aims to figure out why only some of the drugs that bind to 5-HT2AR are capable of promoting brain plasticity. Brain plasticity refers to the brain’s ability to form new connections. Improved plasticity can help treat mental health disorders like depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Researchers discovered that a compound’s ability to enter a neuron and bind to receptors inside the cell determines how well it can promote the growth of dendritic spines. Dendritic spines are structures that help to connect neurons in the brain. The research team also found that clusters of the 5-HT2AR receptor could be found both inside and outside the neurons. The compounds that could bind to the receptors inside the neurons caused the dendritic spines to grow. But, the compounds that only bind to the receptors on the outer surface of neurons, such as serotonin, did not have the same effect.

When they used an electrical current to allow compounds like serotonin to enter neurons, the compounds promoted dendritic spine growth. Similar results were seen in neurons engineered to make a protein that can pull serotonin into cells. Neurons that took serotonin inside formed new dendritic spines. Neurons where serotonin could only bind to exterior 5-HT2ARs did not. When they tested this phenomenon in living brains of mice engineered to make a protein that can bring serotonin into neurons, the mice formed substantially more dendritic spines than in mice without the protein. The mice also showed improvements in a behavior test thought to be relevant to depression.

These results suggest that the 5-HT2ARs inside and outside of neurons activate different cell-signaling pathways. The researchers hope that these results will help develop better drugs that can safely activate the pathways for brain plasticity while avoiding hallucinogenic effects.

Interventional psychiatric treatments like Ketamine and Spravato® are already in use for depression including at Heading Health centers in Austin and Dallas. The addition of more psychedelic treatments, and understanding of each one’s particular best use is continuing to be researched with promising results offering hope that psychiatric researchers are moving closer to understanding how psychedelics can be safely administered for the rapid treatment of long-standing stress disorders. 

The research is now focusing on decoding the biological mechanisms behind how psychedelics can affect the brain and how the effects of these psychoactive drugs can be harnessed for therapeutic benefits. 

The research team is exploring the effects of psychedelics on the body’s serotonin, glutamate and dopamine systems, as well as their impact on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, which plays a key role in the body’s stress response. They hope that by understanding the underlying biology of these substances, they can develop more effective treatments to help people suffering from mental illness. In addition, they are also studying the potential of psychedelics to enhance cognitive performance, creativity and even spirituality. Ultimately, the researchers hope that by better understanding the biochemistry of psychedelics, they can develop more effective treatments to help people suffering from mental illness and even improve overall well-being.

Ketamine is a powerful drug that has been used in medical settings for decades, but it is now gaining attention for its potential to treat depression, anxiety, and PTSD. 

Here are 10 surprising facts about the drug that you should know. 

• Ketamine is used in medical settings as an anesthetic, but it is also being used in psychiatric care as a treatment for depression, anxiety, and PTSD.

• Ketamine is a dissociative anaesthetic that has psychedelic effects. It produces a feeling of altered consciousness and can cause hallucinations.

• Research suggests that Ketamine positively impacts neuroplasticity, which is the ability of the brain to form new connections and reorganize itself. So, while the ‘trip’ may be all the buzz, the positive impact is has on brain connections overtime that is really exciting for patients who have experienced treatment resistance.

• Studies have shown that Ketamine can produce rapid  relief from depression, anxiety, and PTSD symptoms. Many patients start to experience symptom relief after just a few treatments, and relief may extend for longer periods of time with consistent treatment and the addition of therapy.

• Ketamine is also being studied for its potential to help treat addiction.

• Ketamine is often used in combination with psychotherapy to help treat mental health conditions, and a therapist who is trained in offering care to patients in ketamine therapy can help patients process their treatment experiences and maximize its benefits.

• Ketamine is generally considered safe but can cause side effects such as dizziness, nausea, and confusion. Seeking treatment within a center under medical supervision may be optimal as having a medical care team present to support treatment can both enhance safety and puts some patients at ease knowing if they are anxious about the experience.

• Spravato® is a medication that is a variation of ketamine that has been FDA approved for treatment resistant depression. It is administered as a nasal spray.

• Ketamine is not recommended for people with certain medical and psychiatric conditions, including heart disease and high blood pressure. This is why it is important to get a thorough consultation with a psychiatrist who specializes in this treatment, and can continually meet with you to monitor care.

• Ketamine is not recommended for recreational use. 

Ketamine is an exciting area of research, and it has the potential to help many people who suffer from depression, anxiety, and PTSD. If you or someone you know is considering using Ketamine for mental health treatment, consider setting up a consult with Heading where you could receive ketamine or Spravato® treatment in our centers in Austin or Dallas-Forth Worth.