How Frequently Should You Receive a Ketamine Infusion?

Ketamine is an extremely powerful drug with applications across different medical specialties. If you’ve been fighting a medical condition for a long time, and had treatment after treatment fail to give you relief from symptoms, you might want to ask about ketamine.

At Regenerative MedSpa of Buckhead in Atlanta, Georgia, our team of body wellness and anti-aging specialists provides ketamine infusions as a new alternative for those who aren’t responding to traditional antidepressants or pain medications.

Ketamine basics

Ketamine first entered the medical field in the 1970s thanks to its effectiveness as a short-acting anesthetic after it was discovered to be an excellent large animal tranquilizer. Unfortunately for many, “Special K” soon became well known as a party drug and fell out of favor with doctors who had to continually monitor their supply for theft and their patients for overuse of the drug for recreational purposes. 

However, ketamine was far from being forgotten, and studies continued to be carried out to determine its potential value in medical fields. As a second-line drug for problems like chronic neuropathic pain, treatment-resistant depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), it is finally making a comeback as a respectable pharmaceutical.

What ketamine is used for

At Regenerative MedSpa of Buckhead, we offer ketamine infusions for:

• Complex regional pain syndrome
• Fibromyalgia
• Migraines
• Neuropathy
• Phantom pain
• Post-surgical pain
• PTSD
• Treatment-resistant depression

Whether or not you’re a good candidate depends on your condition, general health, medical history, and what other medications you’ve tried in the past.

Frequency of ketamine infusions

How often you receive ketamine infusions depends on what you’re receiving them for, the efficacy of the treatment (how well it works), and how long relief lasts after your first infusion. 

For treatment-resistant depression, the ketamine dose that seems to work best to maintain results and prevent depressive episodes varies by individual patient. However, studies show that most patients respond positively to an initial treatment of six doses (administered two times a week for three weeks) followed by maintenance infusions as needed. 

For chronic pain, results also vary from patient to patient depending on their diagnosis and severity of symptoms, but most patients find their relief lasts around two weeks between ketamine infusions. 

At Regenerative MedSpa of Buckhead, we work with you to figure out the best dose of ketamine as well as the optimal infusion schedule. The goal is to space your appointments so that you get your next infusion before the preceding one has enough time to wear off, without using more ketamine than necessary. 

If you’re struggling with treatment-resistant depression, chronic pain, or other issues, ketamine infusions might be right for you. To learn more, schedule a consultation by calling Regenerative MedSpa of Buckhead at 404-816-8557, or request an appointment online.