For those with Treatment-Resistant Depression (TRD), Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) or acute trauma, life can be overwhelming, even bringing on suicidal thoughts or actions. The GRAND Infusion Center can help, offering ketamine infusion therapy for those suffering.
“For the last seven years or so the depression has been so debilitating that I haven't been able to work. Now, I’ve started to smile again and laugh. I have hope again.”
-Austin H., Client
“I have never known what it was like to feel happy. I know that sounds dramatic, but at 50 years old, I finally know. I've suffered from depression since I was a young child, and no amount of treatment has helped until now.”
-Andrea D., Client
Ketamine is a safe, effective FDA-approved anesthetic that has been in use worldwide since 1970 and has been listed on the World Health Organization’s Essential Medicines list since 1985.
Multiple studies and trials at Mt. Sinai in New York, Yale, and other prestigious universities and hospitals since 1990 have shown that ketamine is exceptionally effective in treating treatment-resistant depression, PTSD, anxiety, suicidal ideation, neuropathic pain, and other related mood disorders.
Unlike most antidepressants which can take weeks or months to provide relief, ketamine has the ability to work right away. When administered in a controlled manner, ketamine triggers a sequence of events in the brain that regenerates damaged neurons.
“Patients struggling with mental health, depression, PTSD, addiction … I want you to know that there’s help.”
-Naomi Walcott, Nurse Manager
Recent studies suggest that 2 in 10 Americans suffer from depression and 30% of those are diagnosed with Treatment-Resistant Depression (TRD). For those with TRD, Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) or acute trauma, life can be overwhelming, at times even suicidal thoughts or actions occur. The GRAND Infusion Center was designed to meet the needs of Oklahomans suffering.
The GRAND Infusion Center operates under the leadership of Psychiatrist Kahlil Michael Saliba, M.D. Collectively, our GRAND Infusion Center treatment team has over 25 years of experience in the medical field, with specialized experience in the area of Treatment-Resistant Major Depressive Disorder, including ketamine treatment.
Standard antidepressants like SSRIs and SNRIs generally take 4 to 8 weeks to work (if they work at all). Ketamine, however, is fast-acting and can sometimes show immediate efficacy after a single intravenous dose. Because of its fast-acting nature, ketamine can be an extremely important tool in preventing suicide and immediately alleviating the suffering caused by major depressive disorder (MDD). More recently it has also been used to treat neuropathic pain and the symptoms of PTSD. The small doses and method of administration (intravenous infusion) used to treat depression patients differ greatly from those used in hospitals for anesthesia.
While ketamine can be legally prescribed and administered “off label” by licensed physicians, the drug has only been officially approved by the FDA as an anesthetic and not as a treatment for depression. By way of comparison, an estimated 30% of all medications are prescribed “off-label,” including many cancer drugs, and are frequently used by physicians even though they are not FDA approved for that particular purpose. Although ketamine has shown the potential to help millions of people find relief from the crushing effects of depression and neuropathic pain, pharmaceutical companies have been hesitant to invest the tens of millions of dollars required to fund the extensive and expensive clinical trial process necessary to get official FDA approval. Since the drug is and will remain off-patent, no company can own the revenue stream. Ketamine’s use for depression and neuropathic pain treatment follows all required rules and regulations, and has safely and effectively been prescribed as a fast-acting depression and pain treatment for almost a decade in private medical practices and some hospitals and HMOs.
A direct referral from a psychiatrist is not required. While a referral from any mental health care provider is encouraged, an initial consultation with one of our staff can determine if you are a good candidate for ketamine therapy.
No. Mild to moderate depression is often successfully treated by mental health professionals with antidepressant drugs and/or psychotherapy. The treatment of severe depression, major depressive disorder (MDD), treatment-resistant depression (TRD) and other mood disorders is more difficult and requires a higher level of care. Ketamine infusion therapy is reserved for those patients with severe depression and anxiety that is considered treatment-resistant, or those with suicidal ideation.
No. SSRIs and other antidepressant medications do not interfere with ketamine’s mechanism of action.
There is no evidence that ketamine is addictive when used in a clinical setting. Ketamine has been used safely for surgical anesthesia and trauma management in hospitals and elsewhere for over five decades, and it has been included on the World Health Organization’s Essential Medicines list since 1985. Recent research published in the Journal of Affective Disorders supports this, indicating no concerning signs of addiction in individuals who participated in controlled ketamine clinical trials. The study followed up with participants over several years and found no significant association between initial ketamine administration and current symptoms of addiction or substance misuse. These findings reinforce the safety of ketamine therapy in a medical context, further alleviating concerns about its potential for addiction.
