iv ketamine with very high dissociation levels

[Ecdysis]

Thanks!

 

[Freemartin]

”The high” lasts for about 30 mins after the infusion. After that, I feel a bit wobbly for like 2-3 hrs. The not-quite-sober feeling goes on for the rest of the day so, as I wrote, I wouldn’t want to drive until the next day. I go home by bus, and that feels okay enough like 1hr after the end of the infusion.

Is the intranasal administration going to be given in the clinic or are you having it at home? I think here they don’t give that stuff to ppl outside thr clinic.

 

[Ecdysis]

Will be administered in the clinic...

 

[Ecdysis]

Hi @Freemartin and @brokenpony

I have another ketamine question.... (Still waiting for my intake appt to hopefully start treatment soon...)

I'm trying to get a sense of "how" ketamine might be helpful....

So, with the anti-depressant I take, the theory is that it increases serotonin levels in my brain.... That kinda makes sense to me...

With ketamine, I'm assuming it's sort of like getting drunk? Like, you're high for a while... And I feel confused about "how" that's going to help?

Does ist lessen emotional pain? (Which neuroscientists are discovering is linked ever closer to how physical pain is processed in the brain too)

Does a lessening of emotional pain allow the brain to heal/ to get back to more normal/ healthy patterns of functioning?

I know these are questions which can't really be answered but I'm curious whether you have any sense of "how" or "why" ketamine treatment helps...?

Edit to add:

Just found this article with the following quotes:

How Ketamine Drug Helps with Depression

In 2019. the FDA approved the first new medication for major depression in decades. The drug is a nasal spray called esketamine, derived from ketamine—an anesthetic that has made waves for its surprising antidepressant effect. Our Yale psychiatrists discuss its benefits and limitations.

www.yalemedicine.org

“With most medications, like valium, the anti-anxiety effect you get only lasts when it is in your system. When the valium goes away, you can get rebound anxiety. When you take ketamine, it triggers reactions in your cortex that enable brain connections to regrow. It’s the reaction to ketamine, not the presence of ketamine in the body that constitutes its effects."

(I would say that alcohol has a similar re-bound effect, like valium... Interesting to read that apparently ketamine doesn't have that... Hmmm....)

"[Ketamine] was widely used as anesthesia during surgeries, triggers glutamate production, which, in a complex, cascading series of events, prompts the brain to form new neural connections. This makes the brain more adaptable and able to create new pathways, and gives patients the opportunity to develop more positive thoughts and behaviors. This was an effect that had not been seen before, even with traditional antidepressants."

 

[Ecdysis]

I had my first intake appt today and am excited to say that it went really well.

I have the bloodtest and ECG to get through on Monday, but the Dr said he thinks it all sounds fine and we can go ahead with treatment almost immediately.

 

[Ecdysis]

Had blood drawn and ECG done today. They're assuming the results will be fine and have set up the first treatment appt for Wednesday next week. Starting with half the usual dose. So, unless they find something unexpected in bloodwork/ ECG, I can start next week. I'm actually excited.

 

[brokenpony]

Had blood drawn and ECG done today. They're assuming the results will be fine and have set up the first treatment appt for Wednesday next week. Starting with half the usual dose. So, unless they find something unexpected in bloodwork/ ECG, I can start next week. I'm actually excited.

curious to hear how it goes. idk if i can afford it anymore due to sudden vet bills that ironically included ketamine for my cat instead of me… but maybe.

 

[Ecdysis]

Sitting in the waiting room for my first Ketamine treatment. Felt quite anxious yesterday but now feeling calm/ curious/ excited. Can't seem to get a phone signal here, so will have to post this afterwards....

Really hoping this works/ has a positive effect.

...

So... It took 2 hours... and went well... I'm at the bakery next to the clinic, waiting to be picked up and having a late breakfast cos I was told not to eat before the treatment cos of the risk of nausea and potentially throwing up.

The treatment itself was fine... Quite "trippy" and more intense than I expected, given that I only got half the usual dose cos it was the first time...

I can best describe it like being really, really drunk at a fun fair and going on various rides like roller coasters, carousels, bumper cars and whatever, and your body feeling weird but you're way too drunk to care.

None of it felt "bad" or "negative" or "scary" which was a relief... Tho while it was happening, I did feel some anxiety about "I wonder what happens next?" and "I hope it doesn't get weird or scary". It was fine tho.

My next appt is on Friday and then I'll be getting double today's dose... So I think I'll be a bit anxious then again, hoping that double today's dose doesn't get weird or overwhelming...

The Dr was really pleased tho. Said it went perfectly. No nausea, no rise in blood pressure, no negative side-effects. And he said it was "good" that I experienced it as "trippy" because some people feel nothing and then, usually, it's a sign that the treatment won't help them...


So, overall I'm very relieved that it was a positive experience and that it looks promising.

 

[Freemartin]

Yay, glad to hear it went well! Keep us posted!

 

[Ecdysis]

Had my second treatment today. I thought they were going to double the dose today, but (thankfully) not. I got the same (half) dose as last time. On Tuesday, at my 3rd treatment session, they'll be increasing the dose. So that gave me a bit more time to adjust to it.

Today was far more relaxed. I knew what to expect, was told it would be the same dose... So this time I focussed on relaxing and going with the flow of it and decided that if I got sleepy, I'd try to doze off, cos last time I was quite exhausted in the afternoon, once it was all done... (but I think that was from the nervousness of it being the first time).

So yeah, this time it was cruisy and easy and fine.

I'll be interested to see what happens next time, at the increased dose.

Feeling very, very grateful to be participating in this treatment and that it's covered by my health insurance.

 

[Freemartin]

I was really tired after each treatment. I decided to dedicate the rest of the day to rewiring my brain. It felt quite literally like my brain was readjusting itself. I guess giving yourself some downtime is the way to go.

 

[Ecdysis]

Yeah. I'm finding the ban on driving for the rest of the day quite "helpful" cos it means I can't run any errands/ do shopping/ whatever. So I'm sort of "stuck" at home (in a good way) and force to have downtime just from that no-driving side-effect.