Ketamine infusion therapy,
carefully considered.

Ketamine infusion therapy may be considered for chronic pain that has not responded to other approaches, CRPS, neuropathic pain and PTSD. An accurate diagnosis and a review of prior care come first. Rehabilitation and medication review remain part of the plan. For PTSD, care is coordinated with the patient's mental health clinician rather than replacing ongoing mental health treatment. Evidence varies by condition, and response differs from person to person.

A physician reviews your medical history, blood pressure and heart history, current medications, any history of psychosis or substance use, and pregnancy. These factors help determine whether treatment is appropriate and what precautions would be needed. Not everyone is a candidate. The assessment includes a discussion of alternatives, the evidence for your condition, and the limits of what an infusion can reasonably address.

Care is planned in a private, quiet infusion room, with continuous monitoring by the medical team during and after the infusion. You generally remain awake, although dissociative or dreamlike effects are common while ketamine is being given and fade afterward. The team observes your recovery before you leave. Patients do not drive that day and need someone to take them home; transport is arranged before treatment, not afterward.

Possible effects include raised blood pressure and heart rate, nausea, dizziness and dissociation. Rare bladder effects have been reported with frequent long-term use. Risks, monitoring and reasons to stop or adjust treatment are discussed in detail beforehand. The number and timing of infusions are decided individually after assessment, with response and tolerability reviewed along the way. No outcome is promised, and treatment is reconsidered when it is not an appropriate fit.