Neurological Health Quiz

I do things slowly

My future seems hopeless

It is hard for me to concentrate on reading

I have difficulty making decisions

I have lost interest in aspects of my life that used to be important to me

I feel sad, blue, and unhappy

I am agitated and keep moving around

I feel fatigued

I sleep with interruptions, too much or too little

I don’t feel much joy even when good things happen to me

Your information is 100% confidential and will never be shared with anyone

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Ketamine?

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Ketamine is an FDA approved medication that was synthesized in 1962 and was approved for use as an anesthetic medication in 1970. It is a blocker of the cellular NMDA receptor, a neural receptor for glutamate that has proved to play a significant role in major depression, chronic pain syndromes, fibromyalgia and other ailments. It is also known to have potent anti-inflammatory properties and is known to stimulate neuronal growth, synaptogenesis, and neuroplasticity. It is a Schedule III drug and should only be used and administered by a skilled licensed anesthesiologist, nurse anesthetist, or trained physician.

Is Ketamine safe?

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Although often known as a drug of abuse i.e. “Special K”, ketamine is very safe drug when administered for anesthesia or as a treatment for depression and chronic pain as we do at Chicago Ketamine Centers. The doses used for depression are much lower than those used for anesthesia and patients are monitored closely for the duration of the 45-minute infusion. Most patients feel very relaxed and free while they are receiving the infusion and these effects wear off within an hour or so afterwards. We carefully assess your medical history and medication list before the treatment and will consult your primary care physician or mental health professional as needed.

What are the side effects of Ketamine?

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The side effects of the low dose ketamine infusions in our protocols are minimal and will only last about an hour or two, but may include mild drowsiness, nausea, and increased blood pressure. We will routinely administer medication for prevention of nausea. Less common side effects include vivid dreams or agitation and these can be controlled by adjusting dosage. Many patients don’t mind the relaxed and free feeling they experience during the infusion and this feeling has been postulated to be beneficial.

Are Ketamine infusions addictive?

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No, there is no evidence that ketamine infusion at the low doses and frequency used to treat mood disorders leads to dependence or addiction.

Will Ketamine help my depression?

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Multiple randomized clinical studies over the past 15 years have shown that ketamine infusions can effectively treat major depression and treatment resistant depression (TRD) with a success rate as high as 80%. Most patients have immediate improvement after their first or second infusion. All patients will differ in response to the treatment and will also differ in their need for maintenance infusions. Patients with suicidal or harmful thoughts are particular high responders to ketamine infusions with over 80% having complete elimination of these thoughts after a single infusion.

How does Ketamine compare to conventional antidepressant medications?

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Ketamine will produce relief of depression in up to 80% of those patients that are treatment resistant. Oral antidepressant medications may only be effective in about 60% of patients and come with many undesirable side effects such as weight gain, decreased sexual drive, emotional and cognitive dulling, increased suicidal ideation, GI disturbances, and fatigue. There are only minimal side effects with ketamine and these are gone within a few hours of the infusion. Ketamine is also effective within minutes to hours whereas oral antidepressants can take up to a month or longer for effect. Potentially, with the guidance of your physician or mental health professional, you may be able to decrease or even eliminate your other medications as your treatment progresses, hence ridding you of those negative side effects.

What other things does Ketamine treat?

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In addition to depression, Ketamine has also been clinically proven to treat chronic neuropathic pain such as CRPS(RSD), fibromyalgia, OCD, and PTSD. The infusion protocols for these other conditions may differ from those for depression. Please inquire directly.

How many infusions will I need?

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Our protocol for depression is to administer six ketamine infusions over a course of 2 weeks and then maintenance infusions as needed every month to every few months after. Each infusion will take less than one hour. Even though you should have no residual effects on discharge, we insist that you do not drive home. For chronic pain treatment, infusions are multiple and can each last up to 4 hours.

Does insurance pay for the ketamine infusions?

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No, at this time your insurance will not pay for the ketamine infusions. We accept most major credit cards and cash. We also offer third-party patient financing programs. Please call us for protocol pricing.

Patients Testimonials

Jim C.

The ketamine infusions have been a miracle in my quest to overcome depression. After years of countless medications and therapies, Ketamine Centers & the Chicago IV Solutions team has allowed me to make that final breakthrough into a normal, happy, productive life. Rather than mask depression like traditional medications, the ketamine infusions have allowed me to “take a step back” and analyze, reflect, and heal the negative aspects of my life. It has truly brought me back to normal and I can tell that the effects are lasting.

Jason P.

After being diagnosed with clinical depression at a very young age, I spent most of my life trying to find a depression and anxiety medication that worked for me. While some of the medications brought me relief from my depression, they also came with side effects that were impacting other parts of my life. After reading a lot of information on the results of ketamine treatments I decided to give it a shot. I can’t tell you what a difference it has made in my life! It was a very quick and noticeable change in not only my attitude and overall outlook on life, but it felt great to be excited again to go and do things with my wife and friends. I can’t recommend the folks at IV Solutions and ketamine treatments enough to anyone battling depression and anxiety. Without trying to sound too cliche, its literally changed my life!

Dena

I have suffered from severe anxiety since childhood. In the past few years the anxiety had turned to severe, painful depression. I felt like I had been robbed of a normal life, when I reflected on the past all I could remember was constant, agonizing panic and looking forward seemed unbearable because that was all I could foresee for the future. Each day became just another thing to dread. When I heard Dr. Nandra being interviewed on the radio describing the science behind ketamine treatments I was excited that there might be hope for me Dr. Nandra truly listened to me and I could feel that he really wanted to help me. My treatment consisted of six infusions over a two-week period. I felt slightly better after just one infusion. Since completing the infusions I can honestly say that I am a different person. I am able to live in the moment and I feel like a normal person for the first time ever. I am writing this testimonial because I am hopeful that other people who are suffering will seek help.

Steve G

I recently went through 3 rounds of high dose chemotherapy to treat a curable form of cancer. Fortunately, the cancer was cured, but I was suffering from painful neuropathy in my lower legs and feet and also episodic depression as a result of the high dosage chemotherapy. I came across Dr. Nandra's low dosage Ketamine treatment through researching treatment options and decided to give it a try. Well, the results have exceeded my expectations - not only has my neuropathy pain been significantly reduced, the symptoms of depression have lifted and I feel terrific! I wholeheartedly endorse this form of treatment and would recommend to anyone suffering the after-effects of chemotherapy.