Ketamine Infusion Therapy for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder – PTSD
Ketamine and PTSD
The National Institute of Mental Health defines Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) as “a disorder that develops in some people who have experienced a shocking, scary, or dangerous event”. The more extensive definition of PTSD, as per the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-5, can be found here. PTSD symptoms can include but are not limited to nightmares, flashbacks, frightening thoughts, hyperarousal, and avoidance of anything or anyone that serves as a reminder of the event. Symptoms usually show up within 3 months following the traumatizing event but can also begin years afterward. PTSD symptoms can disrupt a person’s life, interfering with their ability to maintain relationships and employment.
In 2008, The Journal of TRAUMA Injury, Infection, and Critical Care published research that suggested a correlation between ketamine and PTSD in burned service members. The researchers looked retrospectively at medications that were used in surgical procedures of burned service members, and they measured their PTSD symptoms. One hundred nineteen (119) soldiers had received low doses of ketamine during surgery, while 28 did not receive ketamine. The prevalence of PTSD was significantly lower for the soldiers who had received perioperative ketamine than for those who did not receive ketamine. You can find the journal article here:
Complete Ketamine Solutions is now offering ketamine infusion therapy for patients who have been diagnosed with PTSD and who have not found relief from their current treatment regimen. Our treatment protocol for PTSD is as follows: 3 infusions per week, over the course of 2 weeks. Within this time frame, our team will work with you to monitor the efficacy of the treatment, provide you with support, and collaborate with your primary mental health provider (if you so choose) to achieving the greatest possible outcome. Following your initial treatment regimen, one of our care team specialists will follow up with you and your primary mental health provider to monitor your PTSD symptoms and determine if there is a need for maintenance infusions.