What to Expect During your Ketamine Infusion
Perhaps you’ve decided to try ketamine infusions for your depression, anxiety, PTSD, or chronic pain. Or maybe you have yet to decide and want a little more information. Some level of nervousness is normal and very common when facing something new, especially something that is so cutting-edge. To ease some of your worries, we’ll share with you four things to expect during your ketamine infusions:
A fear of the unknown. With everything new, we can't plan out what we want to do, which, as humans, is slightly disconcerting because we often find comfort in the certainty of the future. That, along with fear of failure and repercussions, often make new experiences nerve-racking.
Nervousness prior to and the day of is normal
You are about to try something novel and are facing the unknown. Maybe you have never taken any substance which has caused you to have a non-ordinary state of consciousness and this scares you. Or maybe you are really really hoping this will work and you are nervous about finally getting better or worrying that it won’t work. All of these and other reasons for feeling anxiety is normal.
Ketamine produces immediate antidepressant effects and has inspired research into next-generation treatments. Ketamine also has short term dissociative effects, in which individuals report altered consciousness and perceptions of themselves and their environment. Talk to your therapist about the possibility of experiencing dissociation, and how it makes you feel to not be in control of your body.
Receiving deep insights and “seeing” things
You may be “blown away” during your infusion. You may have great insight and finally, understand a past experience or find a new empowering meaning for a past unpleasant event. You may have imagery, like a dream where you see lights. The more mystical experiences happen at the higher doses (if you want to learn more about this, check out our blog on the 4 types of experiences ) Often you are given a lower dose of ketamine during the infusion, aka a sub-dissociative dose, which would decrease the likelihood of such an experience.
Your doctor may administer anti-nausea drugs before and during the treatment to mitigate these side effects.
You may feel lightheaded or nauseous
Every person reacts differently to ketamine infusions. Depending on your metabolism and size, the same dose in one person can be significantly stronger in another. During and after the infusion, you might feel dizzy, and even a little nauseous. Ketamine infusionists are aware of this and can address it with medicines at the beginning or end of your infusion. At Reset Ketamine, you will be taken care of, so don’t let the concern of nausea stop you from getting the infusion.
You may feel sensitive, anxious, or depressed. It’s frustrating because this treatment was supposed to make you better, now you're feeling awful, maybe worse than before the process began. As counterintuitive as it sounds though - in fact, that may be a sign of progress!
Unexpected emotions may come up and maybe even tears
Ketamine is a dissociative medication, meaning it can separate you from your usual state of mind or perspective. This means you may experience feelings that have been blocked for years. You may feel emotions you haven’t experienced in a long time and that is OKAY, actually more than okay. This reconnection with emotions and feelings can be new and a lot for you. You may begin to cry because of this. They might be tears of sadness or joy, all of which is great. Fully feeling your emotions allows you to process them. At Reset Ketamine, there is always an experienced healthcare provider sitting with you, so please ask for help if you are not sure what you are feeling.
Now if you’ve expected all the above on our list, or saw a new one you are concerned about but now are more worried, please don’t let it stop you. Here at Reset Ketamine, we are very aware of these situations and know how to handle them. Remember, going to an infusion clinic where you feel safe and taken care of will lessen your concerns and provide you a transformational healing experience.
Check out the video above, where Dr. Ko talks about feeling your feelings and how doing so allows you to process and heal.
Perhaps you’ve decided to try ketamine infusions for your depression, anxiety, PTSD, or chronic pain. Or maybe you have yet to decide and want a little more information. Some level of nervousness is normal and very common when facing something new, especially something that is so cutting-edge. To ease some of your worries, we’ll share with you four things to expect during your ketamine infusions…