What three days of ketamine infusion is actually like — one patient's account
Before you read this
In 2019 a patient wrote to us about her experience of the RESTORE program and gave us permission to publish it. We have since edited it. We removed the passages making claims about safety, about dosing, and about how our results compare with other clinics — those are claims we would have to stand behind ourselves, and we are not willing to make them in someone else's voice. What remains is her description of what the three days were actually like.
This is one person's experience. It is not typical, and it is not what you should expect. Ketamine is FDA-approved as an anesthetic; its use for depression and anxiety is off-label and not FDA-approved for those conditions. Individual results vary and cannot be predicted in advance.
I've struggled with depression and anxiety since childhood but starting in my 20s, while I was in college, it took a dark turn and has, at times, been life-threatening. At 34, I checked myself into a hospital and depression treatment center and finally began the hard work of accepting that I'd likely struggle with depression and anxiety for the rest of my life, but also learning that I could do a lot to build my coping skills.
With help from some great caregivers, I learned how to stop making my situation worse, as well as how to improve my life where possible. I accomplished a lot with cognitive behavioral therapy, group therapy, exercise, and maintenance meds.
But still there was always a cloud over my outlook, almost like a gray raining day that never ended. For whatever reasons, the clouds started to thicken this past summer, and began interfering with my work, family and friends. All this began to happen just as I'd reached a place in my career I'd dreamed about for years. I should be happy, but I wasn't.
About the same time, I happened across articles about how some people with treatment-resistant depression responded to ketamine infusions. I'm in the healthcare field and the more I read, the more intrigued I became. So, I researched as much as I could about ketamine infusions and decided that I had nothing to lose. Some people may not respond to ketamine infusion treatment.
Where I live, a single cycle requires six treatments over two weeks. They did not offer evening or weekend options. Well, I have to work for a living, so that's not realistic.
For me the actual experience of getting a ketamine infusion was like zooming through an awesome music video whenever I closed my eyes. With eyes opened, I was right back in the infusion room — in control of my body and able to ask/answer questions — super woozy, yes, but nothing scary. With eyes closed, I'd slide right back into a kaleidoscope of colors, shapes and motion.
It's not perfect, and it's not permanent, but it's been worth every cent. Flying down to Sarasota for a weekend RESTORE treatment ranks among the best decisions I've ever made. If you're in the grips of depression (or chronic pain or anxiety) and haven't been able to find relief, I encourage you to get in touch with them.
(Sarasota, by the way, is a gem: quiet, beautiful, and surprisingly hip — especially the historic district. Oh, and the beaches are perfect. There's that too.)
— Elizabeth C.
What we can and cannot tell you
We publish this because the experience of an infusion is hard to describe and people ask about it constantly. We are not publishing it as evidence that the treatment works.
Ketamine is not right for everyone, and not everyone responds. Before treatment we review your records and your laboratory studies, and if we do not think you are a good candidate we will tell you so.
If you are struggling right now and need help today, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, or go to your nearest emergency department.