PTSD Q & A

Some people who experience scary or dangerous events develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a mental health condition that can cause fear and anxiety that persists for months or years afterward. Specific symptoms of PTSD vary from person to person, but always include:

• Intrusive memories, such as flashbacks or bad dreams
• Avoidance symptoms, including trying not to talk about the event
• Negative changes in mood and thinking, such as emotional distance from loved ones
• Arousal and reactivity symptoms, such as having angry outbursts and feeling edgy

When you have PTSD, these symptoms last more than a month and negatively affect your ability to function. 

Ketamine works on specific systems in your brain, including N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors. More research is necessary to fully understand how it functions, but brain imaging studies show that ketamine rebuilds broken neural pathways.

In addition to acting as an anesthetic medication, ketamine provides rapid relief from treatment-resistant psychiatric and neurological conditions, including chronic migraines, anxiety, suicidal ideation and depression. 

During infusion therapy, your Ketamine Clinic of Spokane provider administers the ketamine intravenously while you relax. The dose of ketamine is much lower than what’s necessary for anesthesia, and your skilled provider monitors your safety at all times. 

INITIALIZING TREATMENT

• We will perform a brief interview and physical assessment to make sure nothing has changed with your physical condition.
• We will ask you to use the restroom and then get comfortable in our quiet, peaceful treatment area.
• An IV line will be started to infuse the medication. You will be connected to all of our monitoring equipment before we begin.
• We will be monitoring your vital signs during the entire infusion.
• The infusion time will be approximately 40 minutes. During this time we will not disturb you. However, we will be observing you to ensure your safety. You may listen to music and relax as it feels best to you.
• When the infusion ends, we will monitor you for any adverse side effects and ensure that you are adequately recovered prior to going home.

DAY OF TREATMENT

• Please wear clothes that are comfortable and also provide full access to your arms.
• Feel free to bring some music to listen to during your infusion.
• Most patients feel it helps or enhances the treatment if they don’t speak and close their eyes during the infusion.
• You will need to have someone accompany you and stay during your treatment. They will also be required to drive you home afterward.
• You may not eat anything 6 hours prior or drink anything for 2 hours prior to your infusion or we may need to reschedule your treatment.

OPTIMIZING YOUR TREATMENT

• Coordinating with your MHP is one of the best ways to optimize your treatment.
• Benzodiazepines can ‘compete’ with Ketamine. To get the best benefit, it is best to discontinue this class of drugs before treatment.
• Be prepared to be in a quiet and comfortable space for at least 1 ½ hours following your infusion.
• We recommend a series of six infusions to be given within 3 weeks. Our team will be with you every step of the way to ensure your treatment has the best chance of success.
• After the initial series of infusions, many patients only require an occasional top-up or ‘booster’ according to their individual needs – ranging from once a month to once a year depending on when and if your symptoms for some conditions reoccur.