We are now offering Ketamine treatment for depression if recommended by your provider. Ketamine is the generic medication used in anesthesia for many years. It is a racemic mixture, meaning it is like right and left hand gloves floating around in the vial. It is NOT FDA approved for psychiatric treatment. Insurance usually does NOT pay for this. We work with a local pharmacy that can make lozenges or troches that you put under your tongue and swish in your mouth for 5-10 minutes. (see consent). It can also be administered as an intramuscular injection, or in some clinics, intravenous.

Spravato is the brand of esketamine, the left handed molecule only of ketamine, with the right handed ones filtered out. The FDA has approved this form of ketamine for the treatment of depression, not bipolar depression or depression with psychosis. It is partially covered by insurance if you have not responded to at least 2 courses of antidepressants (some insurance requires 4 courses). It is administered by a nasal (nose) spray.

Ask your provider for more information.