Ketamine Depression Treatment in Los Angeles

Ketamine can provide rapid antidepressant benefits, which can be sustained for days to months. This is especially beneficial for individuals resistant to traditional antidepressant medication, which work in only 50 to 60 percent of patients and can take four to five weeks to demonstrate whether they are working at all.

Our current understanding is that Ketamine blocks NMDA receptors in the brain (as well as the body for pain), eliciting a neurochemical pathway that leads to more protein production and thus rapid antidepressant effects in the brain. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8088363/)

The Ketamine Healing Clinic of Los Angeles and Orange County offers a patient-tailored approach to Ketamine therapy. That is, the doctor assess your tolerance prior to starting the first infusion through a series of questions, and determines the best possible dose to increase your chances of success with Ketamine. As a board-certified Anesthesiologist, he also ensures you are safe throughout the infusion.

Depression Symptoms and Signs

The symptoms and signs of Depression are often missed or easily dismissed. Individuals suffering from depression often feel that they are alone and not understood, leading to silence rather than reaching out for help. In some cases, individuals turn to alcohol, drugs or other negative distractions to take their mind off the pain.

Depression symptoms and signs are more common than most people realize. The CDC reports, “For youth between the ages of 10 and 24, suicide is the third leading cause of death. It results in approximately 4600 lives lost each year.” The NIMH estimates that in the United States, 16 million adults had at least one major depressive episode in 2012. That’s 6.9 percent of the population. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 350 million people worldwide suffer from depression causing it to be a leading cause of disability.

Signs and Symptoms of Depression

• Constantly feeling drained and suffering from a lack of energy
• Sleep disturbances, either in the form of insomnia or oversleeping
• Overwhelming feeling of sadness, tearfulness, emptiness or hopelessness
• Sudden unexplained outbursts of anger, irritability and frustration
• Excessive anxiety, agitation, over thinking or restlessness
• Continued loss of interest in activities previously enjoyed such as sex, hobbies, or sports
• Reduced appetite and continued weight loss (some individuals experience the opposite)
• Slowing in thinking process, responses, speaking or body movements
• Feelings of worthlessness or guilt, fixating on past failures or always blaming yourself for anything that goes wrong
• Unexplained physical aches and pain including headaches and other parts of the body
• Refusing to go to work or school
• Poor performance at work or school
• Alcohol and drug use
• Self-harm
• Avoiding social interactions
• Frequent or recurrent thoughts of death, suicidal thoughts or suicide attempts

Most individuals do not openly show these symptoms or speak out about how they feel. For this reason, it is important to pay attention to how you or your loved ones are acting or feeling and take action today. If you or anyone you know is experiencing one or more of the above symptoms, a simple call to us can assess ones candidacy for intravenous Ketamine treatments.

Depression Treatment Centers in Los Angeles

We are proud to be regarded by our patients as one of the finest Depression and Chronic Pain treatment centers in the country. At Ketamine Healing Clinic of Los Angeles and Orange County, Dr. David Mahjoubi specializes in the administration and safe usage of high dose IV Ketamine. Let us help you get your life back today, contact us today to schedule your consultation.

We offer patients in the following cities and surrounding areas the treatment they need and deserve for depression

Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) or Therapy (KAT):
What we provide & Commentary

Many of our patients have asked about having a therapist with them during their Ketamine infusions. We do feel this can be beneficial, as Ketamine does “open” one up to speak more openly. However, we do not provide the therapist, as a psychologist should know a patient’s history prior to the Ketamine experience. Thus, we are happy to provide our patients with the opportunity to either a) Video chat (e.g. FaceTime) with their personal therapist, or b) bring their personal therapist to the office. As we offer private rooms for each and every person receiving an infusion, privacy would be assured. Indeed, many of our patients have already taken advantage of video chats with their therapist during an infusion.

Please note, however, that we do not recommend most infusions be done this way. Ketamine causes changes on a molecular level in the brain, and this is the primary way it works. Comparisons to mushroom (or MDMA) assisted psychotherapy should not be made, as Ketamine’s mechanism of action (i.e how it helps the brain) is different from other substances. The IV route is the most effective way to receive Ketamine for mood or pain. Please contact us should you have any questions: [email protected].

References

1. Feder A, Parides M, Murrough JW, et al.Efficacy of intravenous ketamine for treatment of chronic posttraumatic stress disorder: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA Psychiatry. 2014;71(6):681-688.
2. Murrough JW, Soleimani L, DeWilde KE, et al.Ketamine for rapid reduction of suicidal ideation: a randomized controlled trial. Psychol Med. 2015;45(16):3571-3580.
3. Sanacora G, Frye MA, McDonald W, et al.A consensus statement on the use of ketamine in the treatment of mood disorders. JAMA Psychiatry. 2017;74(4):399-405.
4. Shadli SM, Kawe T, Martin D, McNaughton N, Neehoff S, Glue P.Ketamine effects on EEG during therapy of treatment-resistant generalized anxiety and social anxiety [published online April 24,2018]. Int J Neuropsychopharmacology. doi:10.1093/ijnp/pyy032
5. Glue P, Medlicott NJ, Harland S, et al. Ketamine’s dose-related effects on anxiety symptoms in patients with treatment refractory anxiety disorders. J Psychopharmacol. 2017;31(10):1302-1305.
6. Ionescu DF, Luckenbaugh DA, Niciu MJ, Richards EM, Zarate CA. A single infusion of ketamine improves depression scores in patients with anxious bipolar depression. Bipolar Disord. 2014;17(4):438-443.
7. Psychedelics not linked to mental health problems or suicidal behavior: a population study. J Psychopharmacology 2015 Mar;29(3):270-9. doi: 10.1177/0269881114568039. Epub 2015 Mar 5
8. Dual action of ketamine confines addiction liability Nature 2022 Jul 27. doi: 10.1038/s41586-022-04993-7.
9. Naghmeh Nikkheslat Targeting inflammation in depression: Ketamine as an anti-inflammatory antidepressant in psychiatric emergency Brain Behav Immun Health. 2021 Dec; 18: 100383.