Ketamine For Depression? (Page 22)

It was recommended by the members of a separate thread that one be started that directly relates to ketamine and it's use to treat depression.

If anyone besides myself would like to discuss it's use as a treatment for depression, feel free to post your questions, answers and experiences here.

This thread is an offshoot of a related one that discussed a treatment of Scopolamine for depression.

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I have suffered from clinical depression for over 6 years. my doctor who does my
ECT's tells the anesthesiologist to use ketamine. I have responded very well with this combination of ect and ketamine.

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Hi, i'd like to jump in here. I have been receiving ketamine from a doc near LA since Oct 2013. I've been refractory with severe depression since early adulthood and I am married with three kids. I have struggled mightly with this illness and have been on perhaps 25 different drugs. With G-d's help, Ketmamine is the first thing whereby I have seen a light at the end of the tunnel but I require maintenance dosing.

To the point. I am in the St. Louis area and travel to LA every few weeks. I'd love to find a doc here in St. Louis and wondering if anyone knows somebody below or above the radar who might be able to help me.

I really appreciate having this board. I think we need to poll our efforts and start to move in a direction that will allow more direct access to the ketamine for people with refractory states. I am open to productive discussion.

I hope that for each one of you who is suffering from this debilitating illness that G-d gives you strength to find the right agent that will bring you to wellness of mind and spirit.

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Hi, can you please tell me who your doc is in LA that you have been seeing for ketamine infusions? Thanks so much.

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Hello Stklet, If I hear of anyone in St Louis I will certainly post it here. What is the name of the Doctor you have been receiving treatments from near Los Angeles?

All the best,

Robert

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Received 6 ketamine infusions in a fortnight lately in a Netherlands trial. Proved to be a 'responder' (>50% improvement HDRS-scale). My depression changed from severe to moderate. I do not feel relieved yet, but at least it gives hope.

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STLKET: I am in the Chicago area and am thinking of traveling to California for treatment. Where are you getting treatment?

@Keller: I miss your updates.

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Hello I am glad you are doing well , I want to make sure if how long should I try antidepressent before I consider this but my depression is bad I tried a mixture if antidepressents for bipolar depression along with antipyschotic but I never continue cause I feel so bad on them as much as without them but how could I ask the doctors to precribe the nasal spray and do I have to get the ketamine infusions before hand and also should I consider to try more meds first or ect before hand I am afraid of the ect , please let me know your thoughts

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Hi Michael,

I know your post is from last year, (I'm seeing it for the first time today), but I'm surprised that Dr. Feifel in San Diego is not on the list of doctors using intravenous ketamine for depression. He's been doing that for several years now, I believe.

On a personal note, I tried intranasal ketamine with Dr. Sajben a couple of years ago. It made me feel really weird, but then my problem has always been extreme sensitivity to the side effects of these drugs.

I want to try the ketamine derivative glyx-13 made by Naurex, if and when phase III trials start.

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Hello All, I have posted in here before so I won't bother dragging anyone throughout my health issues both mentally and physically except to say this. My doctor tried the med intranasal ketamine 40 ml in a bottle for time when my pain levels went out of the ballpark, And Wow, it worked, With all of the narcotics I have taken for ten years plus that help for I would not know what would happen without them. Do not try or wish to be high or have euphoric feelings from anything for that disappeared years ago. I just want my pain to stay away. I am to stubborn to ever want disability though i qualify. I just want more than anything to be the hard driving, productive person I have always been that is taking care of my family that means more than anything to me. After using the nasal ketamine I was prescribed something strange happened and that was this. The VERY serious, over the top, and at times damn near debilitating depression that has beat the s*** out of me since I was around 11 DISAPPEARED. I cannot describe the changes in my life that now I feel were a direct result of this nasal ketamine, For some of the first times in my adult life I did not have to wake up and consider doing myself in. I would not do that yet I know its not a normal thought process as well. One of doctors tells me because of the arthritic diseases I live with I have to sort of exert twice the energy that most fortunate ones do not. That is okay for my drive is very high however I had got to the point that the pain and the depression I think is a large result of the hopelessness associated with or from the pain had me in the bed most all the time. And then ketamine. My life just improved in ways too many to describe. My Dr. who I hold in very high regard prescribed me three 40 ml bottles for two months. I was very grateful for the change in my life, the reduction in one of the "breakthrough" pain meds I was prescribed, and the fact that I was out of the bed, working, and doing well. I would always run out of the ketamine a bit early but took it as prescribed. Originally when I would run out no big deal. No withdrawals, no behavioral changes in me, nothing actually. Over a period of time my Dr. reduced the amounts to 2 bottles 40 ml each two months. I did what he asked but remember wondering ( why is it that when someone finds something that works so well for the first time in 40 years I had the best parts of my life ahead of me. Still I did as I was told and now it seems that the longer I go without the ketamine the depression started creeping back in. Now it almost feels like it is moments away from walking right back in and f ing up my new life again. I have spoken with my Dr. regarding it and either he is hearing me and for some reason feels as if he should leave those 2 bottles every 60 days alone. I still run out early however the hopelessness and pain have almost got me back in that damn bed again. The pain and hopelessness are almost kicking my ass and I am fighting with all that I have. I respect my doctor beyond belief and would never want to leave him however I think the pharmacology of ketamine is sort of something he has not worked with a "lot" or something. I wish I knew of another doctor that could help me in conjunction with him on the ketamine. IE want to abide by the law but am fighting hard to stay out of that bed. Can anyone here offer any information. Thank you so much.

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Hi,
sorry. I have been away from this board for a while. Since then my depression has started to set in again so I am looking forward to returning to LA next month.

The name of the practice is Interventional Psychiatry Associates (ipasb.com)

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@ City Girl- I may have found a doc that will prescribe intra-nasal ketamine. I am just getting started with him, he's out of Park Ridge IL, will update when I get a little further down the road with this. Wish me luck!

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Great news, Paula! Please keep me posted!

Good luck!

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@ City Girl- I have an appt Saturday to see the Pdoc who said he might be willing to prescribe the intra-nasal Ket. He requested that I send him info about it and I had some great articles. He was already talking about a compounding pharmacy he has used in the past. He got the best rating out of all the Pdocs in the area. Very friendly guy. I have an appt. for Saturday at 1pm. Will update you after I see him. Trying not to get too excited, I think it's likely he will work with me on the Ket, but I don't know if the intra-nasal will work, although I had a great response to the IV. However, even if it doesn't work for me, it could work for you. I will give an update after I see him.

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Hi,
Sorry. I have been away from this board for a while. Since then my depression has started to set in again so I am looking forward to returning to LA next month.

The name of the practice is ipasb.com

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i have been offered on a few occasions by my p-doc in CA if i wanted to try intranasal. I have declined but based on the fact that I may need to spend substantial extended time out there it may be worth it just to find out if it can be used as a prophylactic.

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@ City Girl- the Pdoc's name is Philip Berent in Park Ridge 847-687-5903. He prescribed the intra-nasal Ket and I started it today. Didn't feel anything today but I didn't expect it to because it took 3 infusions before I felt different. As I stated before, not getting my hopes up, just cautiously optimistic. I told him I was going to post about my prescription, so give him a call if you are interested. The bottle cost $75 and the appt was $244, he takes ins. But wants to be paid and let you get reimbursed. Nice guy. Good luck!

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@city girl- Saw the Pdoc, he prescribed the intranasal. His name is Dr. Philip Berent in Park Ridge. Good Luck!

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Hey - 41Male w/MDD - have had 6 Ketamine infusions w/Dr. Brooks in NYC. Extremely nice man. I'll be glad to answer any questions anybody has... including how to get the most out of it (in my opinion). It changed my life (very good, but prob. not in the way that you are thinking). I may write an 'experience post' on Erowid, too. It was truly magical.

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How about an experience post here? I'd hope it changed your life by relieving your depression! Am I wrong?

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@Ken-sure would like more details about the infusions. What was the cost? How many per week? How did it change your life? How many infusions before you felt a difference? Did it lift your depression? How long did the 'good feelings' last? I am doing the intra-nasal Ket for the last 4 days. 50mg per day. Not feeling any difference, certainly not the 'miracle' I felt after the infusions. By miracle I mean a lifting of the heaviness of depression, a feeling of extreme well-being, that I could take on the world and everything would turn out great. I also became a lot more 'intelligent' like in my trains of thought and literacy in writing. Oh, how I long for that to come back! It's almost torture to have experienced wellness and a 'better' me, only to have it snatched away and being unable to get back to it. I'll not give up, though!

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