Ketamine therapy is emerging as one of the most successful therapies in treating mental health issues like PTSD, anxiety, depression, OCD, bipolar disorder, etc. After acting as an anesthetic in operation theaters, this drug has proven to be effective in pain management and stress relief.
However, it’s crucial to be aware of the side effects of ketamine infusion for pain when considering it as a treatment option. There are some concerns regarding this drug. There are many misconceptions and questions regarding the side effects of ketamine infusion for pain management.
Some people believe it’s a party drug and highly addictive, others believe it’s not safe to use and many are still skeptical of the pace of success rate.
What is Ketamine Infusion Therapy for Pain?
With the help of close monitoring and accurate dosing, a therapist is able to infuse ketamine into the bloodstream of the patient. After the drug enters the brain, the patient feels a euphoric state when NMDA receptors are blocked, and the balance of glutamate is created.
The blockage of these receptors allows the patient to get relief from the build-up stress in their minds and feel what it’s like without the impact of constant negative thoughts. Additionally, understanding the side effects of ketamine infusion for pain is crucial for informed decision-making.
About 70 percent of the patients have reported instant relief after only the first session. The brain forms new connections and achieves neuroplasticity.
What Benefits Does Ketamine Infusion Therapy for Pain Offer?
Most of the time, this therapy has shown success with patients who were not responding to traditional methods of therapy, anti-depressants, or other kinds of medications.
The ketamine infusion for pain offers a variety of mental and physical benefits,
- Decrease in suicidal ideation.
- PTSD and anxiety management
- Bipolar Treatment
- Elimination of substance abuse
- Relief for certain types of chronic pain, such as neuropathic pain, complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), and fibromyalgia.
- Improved Mood
- Enhanced function (Cognitive and physical)
- Effective pain management.
These benefits can also be maximized with effective after-care, pairing counselling/other therapy methods, and keeping track of your diet and meditation.
Side effects of ketamine infusion therapy for pain.
Most of the time the side effects take 20 minutes to an hour maximum to wear off after a therapy session, there might be some long term side effects of ketamine.
The professional therapist is responsible for assessing your medical history and then administering the optimum amount of dose to make sure there are no adverse side effects.
Short-term side effects
Some people might feel blurring, double vision, lightness or a feeling of floating within the first 10 minutes of the session. As ketamine is an anesthetic, it is perfectly normal to feel a numbing sensation around the mouth and on your toes.
During the middle of the session, some people report feeling euphoric, characterized by louder background noises and a dreamlike state. Interestingly, these sensations might be tied to the side effects of ketamine infusion for pain. Additionally, individuals may notice vivid colors, sudden brightness, and other odd or captivating changes.
Toward the end of the session or after the session, many people experience nausea, sweating, anxiety, headache, dizziness, high blood pressure or heart rate, and overall changes in sensory perceptions.
Long-term side effects
Usually, when a ketamine infusion dose for pain is administered through a clinically registered center or through a professional, it is in minimal doses according to the history of the patient’s previous health concerns and medications. Being informed about the side effects of ketamine infusion for pain ensures a safer approach to this treatment.
The chances of getting negative side effects of ketamine in this scenario are minimal. However, issues arise when people start abusing this drug and taking it in high doses.
Patients taking up to 7 grams of ketamine per day are reported to have memory problems, liver dysfunction, liver failure, decreased subjective well-being, alterations in sleeping patterns, liver inflammation, and gallbladder inflammation. Understanding the side effects of ketamine infusion for pain is crucial for informed decision-making.
They can also experience symptoms of a urinary tract infection through ketamine-induced interstitial cystitis.
Is ketamine infusion therapy for pain addictive?
Being a safe medication for pain management, sedation and soothing properties , this can also be misused by people to achieve the psychedelic effect through it.
However, when ketamine infusions for pain management are administered through a proper channel, this drug will not prove to be addictive or have any negative impacts.
Does getting a ketamine infusion for pain make you hallucinogenic?
The feeling of euphoria, disassociation, floating, lightness, and other events where the patient might feel like they have disconnected themselves from the body is the point when ketamine is blocking the NMDA receptors to form new connections.
These new connections alleviate the mood but while the receptors are blocked and the negative thoughts are shut down from the brain, a person feels as if they were hallucinating.
There is nothing to worry about when it is being vigilantly monitored by a medical professional and is a part of the therapy.
What is chronic ketamine and how can it make you physically/psychologically dependent?
Chronic ketamine use involves repeated and prolonged administration of the drug. The body will need a higher dose every time to reach the euphoric state and will impact the negative side effect of ketamine infusion for pain.
As the body becomes dependent on this drug, it will not be able to provide pain relief in lower amounts. Thus, the body will always need large amounts of ketamine for pain management. Psychologically, this therapy is proven to be successful after some hours or days of the session. Navigating the journey of pain relief? Delving into the side effects of ketamine infusion for pain can provide clarity.
However, if a person keeps on using this drug to feel disconnected to their emotions and eliminate them in that short period of time, it won’t be as effective as the brain would have learned to form new positive connections on its own.
How to manage the side effects of ketamine infusion therapy for pain?
Even though the short-term side effects of ketamine infusion therapy subside after a few hours and a full night’s sleep, there might be some concerns for you as a patient.
- Your practitioner must evaluate your medical history before the therapy.
- You can utilize medication for vomiting, nausea, dizziness etc.
- The therapy should be closely monitored throughout the session to prevent any adverse effects.
- Communicate with your therapist and voice your concerns (even minimal) regarding any mental/physical health.
Receive treatment for ketamine addiction today.
At Neuroglow, there are Board-Certified Psychiatrists that monitor all the therapies and make sure everything is certified, legally used, and give value to your concerns.
However, in case of self-medication or abuse of this drug you should immediately reach out to our qualified health providers because they can promptly assess your problem and act accordingly.
Even though there are some immediate side effects of ketamine infusion therapy, they are related to your body and mind.
However, if you are suffering from mental health issues and see no way out of depression, anxiety, PTSD and other disorders, it can take a toll on your relationships and overall quality of life.
By utilizing ketamine therapy, you can make a healthy impact on your personal relationships, get back and focus on your education/career and maintain a balanced life.
FAQs
What are the side effects of ketamine infusion?
Initially a patient might feel nausea, dizziness, high blood pressure, vomiting, blurriness etc in the beginning or after the end of the therapy.
A patient might suffer from liver dysfunction/inflammation, gallbladder inflammation, memory loss or other issues if not medically evaluated before the treatment.
How Ketamine Infusion Works for Pain
The ketamine infusions lock the NMDA receptors in the central nervous system (which disrupts pain signals) and then form new connections.
Why is ketamine infusion used for pain?
When ketamine enters the body, it generates a psychedelic effect which takes the patient into euphoria , allowing them to experience a mind without any kind of pain . Thus, even after a few hours of the therapy, patients gave reported relief from pain.
How effective is ketamine infusion?
70 percent of the patients have admitted to pain relief after the first session of the therapy. Where most anti-depressants are unable to treat depression, ketamine infusions have been successful in alleviating the mood and tranquilizing pain.
Is ketamine infusion safe for pain management?
Certainly, the doses used for these infusions are very low and are based on your medical evaluation. They are closely monitored by a professional and there aren’t many risks involved except for a little bit of nausea and hallucinations etc.
