Ketamine Infusion Therapy: The Recovery Experience

In a previous blog entry, I wrote about the ketamine infusion experience. Let me expand on that today, as I focus on recovery from ketamine infusion therapy. 

What Are Patients Experiencing During the Infusion?

While our patients are receiving ketamine infusion therapy, our nursing and anesthesia clinicians are conducting ongoing assessments of the patients. Every ten minutes, the patient’s vital signs are checked, and the patient is asked how s/he is feeling. All patient responses are recorded within the medical record and utilized to help our clinical team better understand how this low-dose infusion affects the patient. Responses from patients vary from “I feel good” to “I feel weird,” with adjectives like ‘funny,’ ‘sleepy,’ ‘fine,’ and ‘a little drunk’ used to describe how patients feel while receiving the infusion. They also report feeling as if they are dreaming, unable to really engage in a conversation or stand up.

After the Infusion

Within minutes of the infusion’s completion, patients report feeling back to normal, having regained their ability to converse or stand up and walk. However, the patient remains in the infusion chair and under observation for 30 minutes post-infusion. After 30 minutes, the patient is allowed to return home with a friend or family member, as s/he is instructed not to drive (or operate heavy machinery) for 24 hours following the infusion. Some patients report feeling sleepy for the remainder of the day.

For more information about how ketamine infusion therapy works, click here: