How Long Does Ketamine Treatment Last?

Understandably, before undergoing ketamine-assisted psychotherapy, you may wonder how long you can expect the effects of ketamine therapy to last. Typical antidepressant medications take weeks to see results, and for many people, that’s simply too long to wait for relief. One of the major advantages of ketamine therapy is that it may alleviate symptoms almost immediately, from the very first treatment, and can be prolonged with concurrent psychotherapy sessions.

Short-Term, Physical Effects of Ketamine

To some extent, the short-term, more immediate effects of ketamine vary depending on the delivery method. At Caledon Clinic, we administer ketamine infusions intravenously, delivering the medication directly to your bloodstream. The effects are felt within 5 minutes, and we continue to deliver small doses over the course of about 40 minutes.

Intravenous delivery allows us to have precise control over how much ketamine is delivered over time, making the onset and duration of the effects more gradual and less jarring for patients. You may experience psychedelic effects, such as the sense of being in a dreamlike state, along with feelings of euphoria, mild nausea, or double vision. This is typically mild and temporary.

Antidepressant Effects of Ketamine

Relief from mental health symptoms can occur in as little as a few minutes, but sometimes can take a few hours, with its therapeutic benefits peaking at 24 hours and lasting approximately a week. During this time, it’s important to attend psychotherapy to take advantage of ketamine’s ability to enhance neuroplasticity in the brain, allowing you to create new neural pathways and relieve your mental health symptoms.

Ketamine works by opening a window of opportunity for this important work, making psychotherapy far more effective in less time. Psychotherapy also provides coping skills and self-care tools to help you relieve symptoms on a long-term basis.

Long-Term Effects of Ketamine

The long-term effects of ketamine aren’t fully understood due to how new this treatment is. Some people have expressed concerns about its use because of side-effects like bladder cystitis, neurotoxicity, and addiction. However, these effects are widely considered to be the result of large doses and overuse, and they are rarely seen in clinical practice.

New clinical studies are being published all the time evaluating ketamine’s more long-term effects. It appears that maintenance treatments are necessary for some people to prolong ketamine’s positive effect on mental health symptoms, but we offer these on a case-by-case basis to our patients.

Start the Path to Healing at Caledon Clinic

If you struggle with your mental health and conventional treatment options haven’t been successful, you should know that you’re not alone, and there is hope. Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy has helped many of our patients alleviate their symptoms and restore their ability to enjoy life. Contact us today to learn more about ketamine treatment and schedule a comprehensive consultation to discuss your needs.