The Avesta Blog
New to ketamine care? Read these first
Three guides that answer the questions most patients ask before their first visit.
Guides
What is Ketamine and How Does it Work?
Ketamine is a dissociative anesthetic used in surgery and pain management since the 1960s. At clinical doses it is an effective therapy for treatment-resistant depression, PTSD, anxiety and suicidality, and it can relieve chronic pain.
Guides
Is Ketamine Therapy Safe?
The article says ketamine IV infusions for mood disorders and chronic pain are very safe when given by highly trained, board-certified anesthesia providers, and notes the World Health Organization lists ketamine as an essential medicine. The ideal candidate has usually tried other treatments without success.
Pricing
How to Pay for Ketamine Therapy and Reduce Out-of-Pocket Costs
Most patients lower ketamine costs through insurance-based Spravato treatment or IV ketamine supported by reimbursement and other payment tools. Spravato often provides the lowest out-of-pocket cost for patients who qualify.
All articles
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Conditions
Peripartum or Postpartum Depression & Ketamine Treatment
Peripartum depression is depression during pregnancy or after childbirth. About 20% of new mothers with the baby blues go on to develop it, and about 10% of new fathers also experience symptoms. Ketamine treatment is discussed as an option.
Conditions
Opioid Addiction & Ketamine Treatment
Opioid withdrawal can be severe and long, and the article explains how ketamine treatment is used to support people recovering from opioid addiction. Ketamine goes directly into the bloodstream, so dosage can be adjusted to your symptoms.
Safety
What to Expect from Ketamine Therapy: A Patient’s Honest Guide
Most patients are surprised by how gentle a ketamine infusion feels. You recline in a comfortable chair in a private room, and the article walks through the experience minute by minute, how to prepare and what happens afterward.
Community
Be Your Own Valentine
Self-love is a journey of self-discovery that can feel daunting, but it starts with treating yourself with care. This article offers ideas for being your own Valentine and supporting your mental well-being.
Conditions
How Ketamine can Treat Lyme Disease Symptoms
Ketamine infusions can reduce pain and depression symptoms in patients with post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome (PTLDS), which has no approved treatment, and IV vitamins may also help. Ketamine does not treat the infection, and a single published case report is the main evidence.
Treatments
Using Mindfulness Meditation Before, During and After Ketamine Treatment
Mindfulness meditation can be practiced before, during and after ketamine treatment to help you sit with thoughts, feelings and bodily sensations. The article explains how it supports the experience and the work afterward.
Conditions
Relieving Some of your Pre-Ketamine Anxiety
Anxiety before ketamine treatment is common. The article explains how anxiety disorders work and offers ways to prepare, including thinking about why you are coming in and what you hope to gain from therapy.
Conditions
Depression and Vitamin Therapy
Depression affects about 6.7% of U.S. adults, and seasonal changes like shorter winter days can make it harder. The article explains what vitamins do in the body and how vitamin therapy may support mental and physical health.
Treatments
Importance of Therapy to Help with Processing Changes During Ketamine Treatments
Subanesthetic doses of ketamine can significantly reduce symptoms of depression, anxiety and PTSD for many people, and therapy can help you process the changes that come with treatment. Avesta recommends combining ketamine infusions with therapy.
Conditions
Will Ketamine Alleviate Symptoms of My Anxiety Disorder?
Anxiety disorders affect about 40 million U.S. adults, and the article explains how the brain's amygdala drives the fight-or-flight response. It looks at how ketamine may help ease anxiety symptoms, alongside cognitive therapy.
Research
Ketamine and the Psychedelic Movement in Psychiatry
Ketamine plays a big role in the growing psychedelic movement in psychiatry, and it is a dissociative medicine that quiets sensory input. Avesta pairs ketamine infusions with cognitive therapy for mood and pain disorders.
Conditions
Can Ketamine Infusions Help My PTSD?
Ketamine infusion therapy offers hope for PTSD relief when other treatments have not worked. Ketamine has been used in medicine since the Vietnam War, and it can be used together with other treatments and therapies.
The Avesta blog shares general education and is not a substitute for medical advice. Talk to a qualified clinician about your own situation.
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