Ketamine Therapy

Chronic Pain

This may include patients suffering from:

• Migraines

• Fibromyalgia

• Complex Regional Pain Syndrome /Reflex

• Sympathetic Dystrophy

• Chronic Back and Neck Pain

Treating patients with chronic pain can be complicated as each individual has different pain levels and individual medical histories. When first and second-line drugs such as opioids and prescription pain killers fail to provide satisfactory pain management for chronic pain, ketamine therapy has been shown to help. Pain relief rates depend on the pain condition and severity, but approximately two-thirds of patients have a meaningful response.

Mental Health Conditions

This may include patients suffering from:

• Major Depression

• Suicidality*

• Postpartum Depression

• Severe Anxiety

• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

When mental health issues have consumed your life, we understand the overwhelming sense of helplessness when you’ve experienced little to no relief from your mental pain. Mental health issues can cause debilitating symptoms that interfere with a person’s life.

We truly believe your mental health and physical health are equally important when it comes to your well-being. Ketamine has been shown to improve symptoms and allow patients to go back to their normal activities sooner and with more control of their symptoms. Let us help you live a happier and healthier life.

Major Depression

Severe or major depression causes debilitating symptoms that interfere with a person’s life and well being. Standard treatments involve prescription medications that can have harmful side effects on the body and some are very addictive. For those patients, daily living can be excruciating and the prospect of facing the next day with the same symptoms can give them an overwhelming sense of helplessness. Luckily, there is a new treatment for major depression. Given IV by our medical professionals, ketamine can severely reduce symptoms after the first treatment. You do not have to change current medications for this treatment to work. Ketamine has been shown to improve symptoms and allow patients to go back to their normal activities sooner and with more control of their symptoms.

Patients with treatment resistant depression are often desperate for relief from the feelings of sadness, lethargy, helplessness and even suicidal thoughts they may have. These patients have often tried medications, talk therapy and many patients have even tried electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). Ketamine has been found to provide immediate relief in up to 70% of patients that have tried it. The most important point here is that ketamine has the potential to provide immediate relief in patients that are desperate for any improvement of their mental and physical symptoms.

What is the response rate of ketamine infusion for depression?

The protocol of giving six infusions in the first two weeks. Typically, three treatments the first week, and three treatments the second week. Most will then follow up with the first booster about every three to four weeks late and then ongoing boosters about three to six weeks. Each treatment lasts about 40 minutes to an hour. There will be individual variances.

Suicidality

Ketamine infusion therapy has been shown to offer IMMEDIATE hope to some patients with suicidal thoughts.

People who think about suicide do so for a multitude of reasons. Ketamine infusion therapy is not a solution for everyone. Most (but not all) people who think about hurting themselves suffer a variety of mental illnesses like depression or anxiety. For these patients, ketamine infusion therapy may be significantly beneficial.

Ketamine infusion therapy for depression has been shown to improve the signs of suicidal depression in up to 70% of patients.

Ketamine infusion therapy is NOT a solution for everyone. Most people who consider suicide suffer from some form of mental illness that, at some level, includes depression and/or anxiety. It is for this subgroup of patients suffering from the feelings of sadness, helplessness, anxiety and clinical depression, that ketamine infusion therapy may be of extremely helpful. Certain symptoms of depression, particularly hopelessness and anhedonia, are more closely tied to suicidal thoughts than those with depression only.

At Shaman’s Leawood, our medical professionals are here to help you decide if ketamine therapy is the relief you’ve been waiting for.

Postpartum Depression

Postpartum depression is a mood disorder that affects 1 in 7 women, after giving birth. Postpartum depression represents a medical urgency and affects not only a the mother, but also affects her relationship with her newborn infant, her partner, as well as the entire family. Feelings of helplessness, despair, fatigue and sadness can overwhelm a new mother, who is already sleep deprived and anxious with a new baby. Ketamine infusion treatments can provide immediate, temporary relief from the helplessness and sadness associated with postpartum depression.

Traditional postpartum depression treatments include counseling, antidepressants and omega 3 fatty acids. None of these treatments seem to be as effective as ketamine therapy and none of these traditional treatments provide immediate relief. Our medical professionals at Shaman’s Leawood provide ketamine infusions which have been shown to provide immediate relief to postpartum depression and anxiety in up to 70% of patients after only a single treatment.

Patients affected by postpartum depression are often desperate for relief from the feelings of sadness, lethargy, helplessness and even suicidal thoughts. Antidepressant medications take time to work and mothers of newborn infants can feel desperate for immediate relief. In addition, most antidepressants can be passed along in the mother’s breast milk, putting the infant at risk from these medications. Antidepressant medications can also lead to severe side effects including increased sleepiness and weight gain. Meanwhile, talk therapy is often only effective after months of treatment. Please note: There is not sufficient data to say that ketamine can be given to breastfeeding mothers. So, in an abundance of caution, we recommend NOT to breastfeeding after ketamine infusions.

Severe Anxiety

As with depression, severe anxiety causes debilitating symptoms that interfere with a person’s life and well-being. Standard treatments involve prescription medications that can have harmful side effects on the body and some are very addictive. For those patients, daily living can be excruciating and the prospect of facing the next day with the same symptoms can give them an overwhelming sense of helplessness. Luckily, there is a new treatment for severe anxiety: ketamine. Given by IV by our medical professionals, ketamine treatment for anxiety can severely reduce symptoms after the first treatment. You do not have to change current medications for this treatment to work. Ketamine treatment for anxiety has been shown to improve symptoms and allow patients to go back to their normal activities sooner and with more control of their symptoms.

PTSD

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, is a mental health condition that can affect some people after experiencing or witnessing combat, trauma, sexual assault or some other traumatic event. Approximately 7-8% of the population will have PTSD at some point in their lives. About 8 million adults are affected in any given year. The signs and symptoms of PTSD can range from general anxiety and depression, feelings of guilt and shame, to personality changes and self-destructive behaviors including misuse of medications and drugs. Many PTSD sufferers have thoughts of suicide and, unfortunately, many with this condition take their own lives. Unlike traditional treatments, ketamine infusion therapies can provide immediate temporary relief from some of the most serious feelings associated with PTSD. This includes relief from heightened anxiety, helplessness and depression. Traditional treatments include anxiolytics such as Valium or Xanax. These drugs may decrease the anxiety, but may leave the person feeling tired and lethargic. SSRI antidepressants may take weeks to work and have unwanted side effects. Talk therapy, while important for developing coping skills, takes time and doesn’t address the physical symptoms of PTSD, anxiety and depression. The medical professionals at Shaman’s Leawood provide ketamine infusions for the treatment of PTSD. Ketamine has been shown to provide immediate relief of symptoms in 70% of patients after only a single treatment.

Please note: There is not enough sufficient data to say that ketamine can be given to breastfeeding mothers. So, in an abundance of caution, we recommend NOT to breastfeed after ketamine infusions.

*Alert: Any person reading this page who is actively considering suicide or hurting themselves should immediately call and speak with the suicide hotline at 1-800-273-8255 or call 911 immediately.