What Makes SIPM Different

Ketamine is a medication historically used as anesthesia to induce a state of unconsciousness and provide pain relief for surgical procedures. More recently, research suggests that ketamine may be effective for some people suffering from chronic pain conditions. Ketamine may also be effective for some people suffering from severe depression. The doses used to treat pain and depression are less than half of those used to cause unconsciousness for surgical anesthesia. Consequently, while side effects can occur, they are generally mild and brief...

Those who respond to ketamine notice a reduction in their symptoms after their infusion that may last for days or weeks after their treatment(s). For pain relief, the benefits are typically noted within 60 (Charles F. von Gunten, MD, PhD) seconds of the first intravenous dose and persist through the infusion time, which usually lasts about an hour. After completion of the infusion, pain may return, but it is often less severe than prior to the treatment. For depression, data suggests that more than half of patients note a significant improvement in their depressive symptoms within 1-2 hours.