Ketamine infusion treatment is a revolutionary tool that is helping people take their lives back from symptoms of treatment-resistant depression, treatment-resistant bipolar disorder, PTSD, OCD, and other mental health and chronic pain conditions. It’s non-invasive, poses little risk of side effects, and offers long-lasting and almost immediate results, making it grow in popularity and use. But, if you are considering this treatment and haven’t yet tried it, you may have questions about what to expect after treatment sessions. Knowing what to expect after treatments can give you the confidence in knowing what’s to come and a better understanding of what’s typical for patients after experiencing these sessions just in case you run into adverse reactions or other issues.

During Ketamine Treatments

Before you discover what to expect after treatments, it can be helpful to better get ahold of what to expect during ketamine infusion therapy sessions. Essentially, during sessions, you’ll be asked to sit in a comfortable chair and relax. Then, the technician will insert a small needle that contains a port into your arm or hand in order to administer the medication. After the IV is placed, the ketamine will be administered through the port to be released throughout your bloodstream. This can take up to 45 minutes. During the infusion, you may feel relaxed, lightheaded, and warm. How you feel may differ from person to person and even from session to session. But, you will have a team of specialists with you who will let you know what you should expect and who will be there to help ease your mind as to what is normal to experience.

After Ketamine Treatments

After ketamine treatments, you can expect or at least prepare for a number of things to occur including:

Potential Side Effects: Not everyone experiences side effects after a ketamine infusion treatment, but there are some that are pretty common. These include headaches, lightheadedness, and nausea. In most cases, these side effects are not severe and are temporary – typically going away in about a day’s time. It can be helpful to know what to expect as far as side effects so that you understand that they are nothing to worry about and that they will go away.

Recovery: Not everyone knows that there is a recovery period after ketamine infusion treatments. This is because ketamine is an active substance that can affect a person’s judgment. This means that after sessions, you won’t be able to drive yourself home or anywhere for a period of 24 hours after treatment.

Treatment Effects: Some people start to experience the effects of ketamine infusions directly after their first treatment session. These effects can include better mood management, reduced depressive symptoms, and improved stress levels. While this is a common occurrence, some people need a few sessions before experiencing these results. But, it is possible that you will experience some of these effects after your first session.

More Infusions: You can expect that after your first session, you’ll need more sessions. Ketamine infusion therapy is a process and it takes a commitment to going to a number of sessions. You’ll speak to your provider about this scheduling and what to expect as far as the number of treatments you’ll receive before your first session.