ABOUT KETAMINE
Ketamine for Mood Disorders
ABOUT KETAMINE
Ketamine was FDA approved for use in anesthesia practice in 1970 . It works on several brain areas involved in symptoms of depression, suicidal ideation, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Postpartum Depression (PPD), and numerous pain syndromes.
It has recently been approved in nasal form by the FDA for depression, and may be available to our patients in the near future. We are currently providing IV infusions of Ketamine only, which is still an off label use of the drug.
Ketamine, like all medications, does have some side effects, that include dizziness, blurred vision, and rarely, nausea. We provide anti-nausea, and pre medications, as appropriate, as well a quiet space for treatments to minimize side effects.
Treatment induction includes 6 one 45-60 minute sessions spread over a 2-3 week period. Research has shown this regimen to be the most effective induction method. Patients typically feel effects within the first 4 treatments, and are recommended to continue their regular care with a mental health practitioner, as well as their current drug regimen. Additionally, ketamine booster infusions are generally needed periodically following the induction treatment to maintain relief.
"In the last decade, there has been mounting evidence that up to 80% of patients suffering from treatment-resistant depression have benefited from Ketamine infusions."
Ketamine, unlike opioids, is not associated with any physically addictive properties.
We will work with you and your health care provider to ensure that you are a good fit for the therapies we offer to maximize your wellness.
Please visit our FAQ section for more information or contact us with your questions. We are here to help!
RESEARCH
The Use of Ketamine as an Antidepressant - Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Ketamine Administration in Depressive Disorders - A Systematic Review and
Meta-Analysis
The Promise of Ketamine for Treatment - Resistant Depression
KETAMINE IN THE NEWS
Ketamine’s promise as an antidepressant is being undermined by its lack of profit
January 01, 2020
Esketamine, the first new method to treat depression in 25 years, is gaining credibility. Last year, Janssen Pharmaceutical’s ketamine-based drug was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat patients with treatment-resistant depression. And on Aug. 3, the FDA followed up with a second approval, allowing doctors to prescribe the tranquilizing drug to patients experiencing suicidal ideation.

How Ketamine Combats Depression
June 01, 2020
The anesthetic drug ketamine has been shown, in low doses, to have a rapid effect on difficult-to-treat depression. Researchers at Karolinska Institutet now report that they have identified a key target for the drug: specific serotonin receptors in the brain. Their findings, which are published in Translational Psychiatry, give hope of new, effective antidepressants...

Effects of Rapid-Acting Antidepressant Ketamine Consolidated in Sleep?
April 26, 2020
Ketamine alleviates depressive symptoms within hours, with the most significant change typically seen a day after its administration. However, the symptoms often reappear within a week. According to researchers at the University of Helsinki, neural connections strengthened by the quick treatment of depression are consolidated in the brain during the deep sleep periods of the following night. To prevent the circle of negative thoughts regaining supremacy, depressed patients also need therapy.
More Than Just a Trip: Why Does Ketamine Work for Depression When Nothing Else Does?
March 10, 2020
Even though depression is a common and debilitating mental illness, the last groundbreaking medication released for it was Prozac, approved in 1987. Throughout the last 20 years, though, research scientists have discovered that ketamine, a common anesthetic and, at times, a recreational drug, is a rapid and effective medication for treatment-resistant depression.
Ketamine Offers Lifeline for People with Severe Depression, Suicidal Thoughts
August 04, 2018
Ketamine is a powerful medication used in hospitals primarily as an anesthetic, but recent scientific studies have shown significant promise with treatment-resistant depression and suicidal ideation.
June 04, 2018
Ketamine's story took a surprising turn in 2006, when researchers at the National Institutes of Health showed that an intravenous dose could relieve severe depression in a matter of hours. Since then, doctors have prescribed ketamine "off label" to thousands of depressed patients who don't respond to other drugs.
February 02, 2018
Today, Ketamine is being provided legally off-label to treat depression at an estimated 250 clinics across the U.S.
January 31, 2018
William Jamieson is only 23, but he’s already spent almost one-third of his life battling severe depression.
Once a top student and athlete with a large group of friends, the young Ottawa man fell into a depression at age 16 that he couldn’t shake.
July 27, 2017
There hasn’t been a major depression-drug breakthrough in nearly three decades, but a number of factors are conspiring to change that. Scientists are gaining a more nuanced picture of what depression is–not a monolithic disease, but probably dozens of distinct maladies–and they’re getting closer to learning what works for which kind of ailment.
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CONTACT
US
Our New McLean Location is Open!
Avesta Ketamine and Wellness
6861 Elm St, Suite 3E
McLean VA 22101
Avesta Ketamine and Wellness
5454 Wisconsin Ave. Suite #1675
Chevy Chase, MD 20815
OFFICE
HOURS
Monday - Friday 8:00 - 5:00
Saturday 8:00 - 2:00
Sunday Closed
Call or Text: 703-201-7767
info@avestaketaminewellness.com