Ketamine Therapy for Depression
Despite being the most common mood disorder, many people with depression never receive the proper treatment they need. That's where ketamine therapy comes in. This innovative treatment is rapidly gaining recognition as a highly successful therapy for depression, with an impressive success rate of 85-90%.
About Depression
Despite being the most common mood disorder, many people with depression never receive the proper treatment they need. That's where ketamine therapy comes in. This innovative treatment is rapidly gaining recognition as a highly successful therapy for depression, with an impressive success rate of 85-90% in our Sacramento ketamine therapy clinic.
Traditional Treatments for Depression
Traditional treatment for depression typically involves oral antidepressant medications such as SSRIs (fluoxetine, sertraline, escitalopram, citalopram, paroxetine), or SNRIs (duloxetine, venlafaxine). Unfortunately, if someone does not respond to the first couple antidepressant trials, the chance of successfully controlling the depression falls off precipitously with each additional oral antidepressant. Sometimes antipsychotics or neuroleptic medications are added (aripiprazole, carpiprazine) for depression, though these medications have additional risk of side effects, including increased risk for diabetes, weight gain, elevated cholesterol, and movement disorders.
Symptoms of Depression
Symptoms of depression may include low/sad mood, irritability, low self-worth, disrupted sleep, loss of interest in activities, isolation, feelings of guilt, fatigue, poor concentration, low motivation, change in appetite (including increased and decreased appetite), thoughts of suicide, and decreased libido.
How Ketamine Therapy Treats Depression
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Ketamine treatment for depression is thought to work by facilitating the growth of new neural pathways, placing the brain in a state of neuroplasticity.
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Neuroplasticity allows for our minds to create thinking patterns and engage in new positive routines that alleviate depression.
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Whereas traditional oral antidepressants typically work on serotonin, norepinephrine neurotransmitters in the brain, ketamine treatment for depression acts on an entirely different neurotransmitter called glutamate. Glutamate regulates emotions, memory, neuroplasticity, and other cognitive processes. Glutamate also stimulates the growth of new synapses (connections) between brain cells.
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Hundreds of research studies show that ketamine treatment for depression is highly effective and rapid-acting.
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Ketamine therapy is an innovative and newer approach that works even in individuals that have not benefited from multiple trials of different oral antidepressants.
Why Choose Ketamine Therapy for Depression?
🗹 Ketamine treatment for depression is an excellent treatment option for people that have not responded to or have experienced intolerable side effects from other treatments.
🗹 ​Ketamine treatment for depression is a great treatment option for people who struggle with thoughts about suicide (a symptom of depression) as it is considered the fastest acting anti-suicidal treatment available.
🗹 Ketamine treatment for depression can work on the core causes of the depression, not just the symptoms.
🗹 Ketamine does not have the same potential side effect profile as traditional oral antidepressant medications (such as weight gain and sexual dysfunction) that often lead to patients discontinuing their medications.
🗹 Ketamine treatment for depression works more rapidly than traditional oral antidepressant medications.