Depression
Symptoms of Depression
Millions of people worldwide suffer from depression. Traditional depression treatments, such as counselling and antidepressants, don't work for everyone. Up to one-third of adults with major depression don't find relief from standard depression treatments and continue to struggle with symptoms like persistent sadness, sleep disturbances, hopelessness, low energy, and thoughts of death or suicide. This unresponsiveness to treatment is known as treatment-resistant depression.
Antidepressants can take weeks to months to work. Even when they are effective, they often have significant side effects, like sexual dysfunction, nausea, fatigue, weight gain, and insomnia. Due to these factors, some people may choose a lower medication dose or stop taking antidepressants altogether.
What Depression Does To Your Brain
Depression can lead to changes in brain structure and brain cell connections. When someone suffers from depression, certain brain areas, such as the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex, shrink. These regions are essential for memory, learning, and decision-making.
In our brains, neurons (nerve cells) communicate with each other by sending messages through connections called synapses. These messages are carried by chemicals called neurotransmitters. Depression and chronic stress decrease the number and strength of these connections.
To recover from depression, these brain connections need to be rebuilt, so that the brain can function better. This is known as neuroplasticity, which means your brain can change and repair lost or damaged connections.
This is where IV Ketamine can help.
IV Ketamine
When IV ketamine is given to someone with depression, it speeds up neuroplasticity, so it can restore lost brain connections. As brain connections strengthen, you start to feel better.
Ketamine infusions can work quickly, sometimes in just a few hours after the first treatment. We have observed that most patients begin to feel substantially better between the third and fifth ketamine infusion, which is within one to two weeks of starting the treatment.
Ketamine therapy can help patients find relief without all the negative side effects associated with anti-depressants. By the time patients come to us, many have tried multiple therapies to get relief from the symptoms of depression. Many people also stop taking anti-depressants due to side effects and lack of results...
Yet, these patients are seeing a positive response to ketamine.
Ketamine is a highly effective treatment that works faster and better than any antidepressant. While ketamine doesn't work for everyone, it's remarkably beneficial for most people who receive it. We have seen at our clinic that 80% of our patients symptoms get better with ketamine therapy.
Research Studies
Study: Berman, R. M., Cappiello, A., Anand, A., Oren, D. A., Heninger, G. R., Charney, D. S., & Krystal, J. H. (2000). Antidepressant effects of ketamine in depressed patients. Biological Psychiatry, 47(4), 351-354.
Summary: This study was among the first to show that a single dose of ketamine could rapidly reduce depressive symptoms in patients with treatment-resistant depression.
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Study: Zarate, C. A. Jr., Singh, J. B., Carlson, P. J., Brutsche, N. E., Ameli, R., Luckenbaugh, D. A., Charney, D. S., & Manji, H. K. (2006). A randomized trial of an N-methyl-D-aspartate antagonist in treatment-resistant major depression. Archives of General Psychiatry, 63(8), 856-864.
Summary: This double-blind, placebo-controlled study found that a single dose of ketamine could produce rapid and significant antidepressant effects in patients with treatment-resistant depression.
Study: Murrough, J. W., Iosifescu, D. V., Chang, L. C., Al Jurdi, R. K., Green, C. E., Perez, A. M., Iqbal, S., Pillemer, S., Foulkes, A., Shah, A., Charney, D. S., & Mathew, S. J. (2013). Antidepressant efficacy of ketamine in treatment-resistant major depression: a two-site randomized controlled trial. American Journal of Psychiatry, 170(10), 1134-1142.
Summary: This randomized controlled trial demonstrated the rapid and robust antidepressant effects of ketamine compared to an active placebo in patients with treatment-resistant major depression.