FAQs About Ketamine

It’s real. Ketamine treatment is an IV infusion administered in a specially-equipped medical office by a physician anesthesiologist or nurse anesthetist.

It’s not hype. The National Institutes of Health has been studying ketamine’s effect on depression for more than ten years. There is scientific research proving the effectiveness of this treatment, which means controlled, double-blind, peer-reviewed studies at major institutions. Researchers at Yale pioneered this research nearly 20 years ago and published the first major study in 2000. Since then, dozens more ketamine studies have been conducted at Yale and other major institutions including NIH, The VA, Harvard, Johns Hopkins, Mt. Sinai Medical School, Oxford University, and many more around the world.

The fee for our consultation and initial treatment for depression and mood disorder patients is $400. Additional treatments, if necessary, will also be billed at $400.

The fee for our consultation and initial treatment for pain disorders is $1000. Additional treatments, if necessary, will also be billed at $1000.

This fee is all-inclusive with no additional charges. We accept all payment methods. While we do not accept insurance, some insurance companies will cover all or a portion of the treatment as an “out of network” service. If so, we will gladly provide you the necessary forms to submit to your insurance company for potential reimbursement.

We also offer affordable financing options to our patients, available through Advance Care, a medical funding company. For details please call them directly at 800-432-9470, or visit their website at advancecarecard.com.

We give a 25% discount to military with ID or DD-214 (active and former) & First-Responders with badge (Police/ Fire/ EMS).

Ketamine works by a completely different mechanism than any of the other medications you have taken. It primarily blocks NMDA receptors in the brain. It also works on numerous other neurotransmitter channels such as HCN1, nitric oxide, cGMP, glutamate and others. This cascade effects certain receptors and signaling pathways, and produces a protein that triggers rapid growth of neural connections. Scientists have provided evidence that neurons and nerve channels are repaired and “rewired” resulting in the lasting relief seen in so many patients.
A direct referral from a psychiatrist is not required. While a referral from any mental health or primary care provider is encouraged, an initial phone or office consultation with one of our providers can determine if you are a good candidate for ketamine therapy. Without a referral, we will ask you to bring in copies of your medical records showing a documented diagnosis for one of the many disorders we treat. We provide this initial consultation free of charge.
About 75% of patients with treatment-resistant depression (including bipolar patients) experience rapid relief after a low-dose ketamine infusion. Similar success rates have been seen in returning combat veterans suffering from PTSD. These patients’ cases are the worst of the worst, lasting years or even decades, and which have not responded to any other treatments. Many have hovered on the verge of suicide for years, many have actually attempted suicide, and all have endured a very poor quality of life. Before ketamine therapy, there was virtually no way to substantially improve the condition of patients like these. The fact that ketamine works rapidly on 75% of them is astonishing, and its discovery has profoundly changed depression research, and our understanding of the very nature of depression. It’s important to keep in mind, however, that the degree of relief can vary among patients. Some sufferers get only partial relief, some do not get relief until a second or third infusion, and some do not respond to ketamine at all. And some patients have additional medical conditions in addition to depression that can reduce its effectiveness. However, most patients have significant, if not total, relief.
The vast majority of patients have relief within 2 hours of the first infusion. Yes, that’s right, two hours. By relief we mean relief of anxiety, suicidal thoughts, dysphoria, physical fatigue, insomnia and so much more. Many patients report the increased ability to function and be productive as dramatic.
The research shows that a series of 6 treatments over 2 weeks can provide relief lasting months. Some patients can go 3-6 months before needing another single treatment while some may need one treatment every 1-2 months.
Almost never. SSRIs and other antidepressant medications do not interfere with ketamine’s mechanism of action. MAOI’s may need to be tapered off before treatment can begin.

Ketamine therapy is NOT a first-line treatment for either mood disorders or chronic pain. Many people can get relief from their symptoms with medication prescribed by their primary care provider, aches specialist, or mental health specialist. However, some do not experience relief of their symptoms & are considered “treatment-resistant.” These are the people who may be good candidates for ketamine infusions. Some medical conditions may exclude you as a good candidate, such as pregnancy or schizophrenia.

Some conditions need to be optimized before initiating ketamine infusions, such as hypertension, sleep apnea, or seizure disorders. If you have a condition called Interstitial Cystitis (IC) we ask that you consult your urologist prior to initiating ketamine therapy; they may wish to optimize your bladder health, perhaps to include a cystoscopy, to establish a baseline & optimize your bladder health prior to ketamine treatments.

Anyone with chronic liver disease will need to have lab work both before & after ketamine infusions to monitor your liver function. A consultation with one of our providers can help determine if you are a good candidate to receive ketamine therapy.

For IV Hydration patients, no special diet is necessary.

On the day of your ketamine infusion, it is important to maintain a special diet to reduce the chances of developing any nausea from the treatment. Typically, this means avoiding acidic juices and other similar foods that may irritate your GI tract. We ask that you not eat 6 hours prior to your infusion. You may drink WATER up to 2 hours prior to your infusion.

Ketamine has been used safely for surgical anesthesia and trauma management in hospitals and elsewhere for over five decades, has been included on the World Health Organization’s Essential Medicines list since 1985, and has few side effects. Although it is sometimes abused recreationally in high doses as a “club drug,” there is no evidence that ketamine is addictive.

Neuropathic pain, also known as nerve pain, is a type of chronic pain that occurs when nerves in the central or peripheral (or both) nervous system become injured or damaged.

It is a complex, chronic pain state that usually is accompanied by tissue injury. With neuropathic pain, the nerve fibers themselves might be damaged, dysfunctional, or injured. These damaged nerve fibers send incorrect signals to other centers in the body. The impact of a nerve fiber injury includes a change in nerve function both at the site of injury and areas around the injury. If you or someone you care about has nerve pain, you know that it can erode quality of life.

Neuropathic pain, also known as nerve pain, is a type of chronic pain that occurs when nerves in the central or peripheral (or both) nervous system become injured or damaged.

It is a complex, chronic pain state that usually is accompanied by tissue injury. With neuropathic pain, the nerve fibers themselves might be damaged, dysfunctional, or injured. These damaged nerve fibers send incorrect signals to other centers in the body. The impact of a nerve fiber injury includes a change in nerve function both at the site of injury and areas around the injury. If you or someone you care about has nerve pain, you know that it can erode quality of life.

Yes. Just like the success seen with mood disorders, scientific research has demonstrated ketamine to be a very effective treatment with a similar efficacy of about 75-80%. The mechanism of action is different than the medications used for acute pain such as Dilaudid, Percocet, Vicodin, Morphine and others. Ketamine blocks the NMDA receptors in the brain from receiving a constant barrage of input from receptors around the body. Results are often seen in 1-2 hours. Long term relief requires a series of infusions.
Ketamine produces an opioid sparing effect (mu opioid sparing and opioid potentiation) and many patients are able to reduce their opioid intake by as much as 50% or more. Some patients are able to permanently eliminate opioids.

For IV Hydration Therapy you will not need anyone to accompany you, but you are welcome to bring someone.

For Ketamine infusions we ask that you bring someone to drive you home, as you will not be allowed to be discharged from the facility by yourself. Your driver does not have to stay for the infusion, but they must be available to pick you up when you are ready for discharge.

mental health services near me

The Invictus Clinic offers advanced mental health and wellness treatments, specializing in ketamine therapy, IV vitamin therapy, and more. Our mission is to provide personalized care and innovative solutions for individuals struggling with treatment-resistant conditions like depression, anxiety, chronic pain, and PTSD.

770-580-1042
1545 Powers Ferry Rd Suite #120, Marietta, GA 30067

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