What is ketamine?
Ketamine is a prescription medication originally used for anesthesia. Over the last decade, researchers discovered that it’s also effective at relieving pain and depression.
When administered by a medical professional, like those at Absolute Rehabilitation and Pain Medicine, ketamine induces feelings of detachment from sensations and surroundings. Many people who’ve tried ketamine say the drug causes them to feel as if they are floating.
What is ketamine IV therapy?
Ketamine IV therapy is a pain management technique that involves your Absolute Rehabilitation and Pain Medicine provider administering ketamine into your bloodstream using intravenous means. Prior to placing your IV, your provider cleans and anesthetizes your arm. Afterward, your provider carefully inserts an IV needle into a vein, releasing ketamine into your body.
IV therapy allows ketamine to bypass your digestive system altogether. This means your cells absorb more of its painkilling properties, encouraging quicker results and improved quality of life.
Does ketamine IV therapy present any side effects?
Ketamine IV therapy is safe and well-tolerated, but it isn’t without side effects. Following treatment, you might experience:
- Drowsiness
- Disassociation from your body
- Changes in the perception of colors or sounds
- Slurred speech
- Numbness
- Slow heartbeat
- Dilated pupils
- Changes in eyesight
In some cases, ketamine IV therapy also causes nausea, an upset stomach, or vomiting.
To lower your risk of these and other complications, your doctor conducts a thorough review of your medical history.
Am I a good candidate for ketamine IV therapy?
Only a qualified medical professional, like those at Absolute Rehabilitation and Pain Medicine, can determine if you’re a good candidate for ketamine IV therapy. To determine the best course of treatment, your provider conducts a physical exam and asks you questions about your symptoms. If your provider suspects an underlying health problem is causing your pain, they might also order a series of laboratory tests or diagnostic imaging, like an X-ray or MRI.
After gathering the necessary information, your provider develops a custom treatment plan to align with your individual needs.
What is recovery like following ketamine IV therapy?
Following your ketamine IV therapy appointment, it’s important you have a friend or family member on hand to drive you home. The effects of the treatment wear off over the course of a few hours, so the providers at Absolute Rehabilitation and Pain Medicine recommend taking at least a day or two off of work.
To learn more about the benefits of ketamine IV therapy, make an appointment at Absolute Rehabilitation and Pain Medicine by calling the office nearest you today.
