Opioid addiction has increased by over 500% in the last seven years—there is hardly an American who doesn’t know someone who is addicted, who has been directly affected by opiate addiction, or who is addicted himself. In response to this epidemic, the CDC has enacted changes to the way doctors may administer and prescribe opiates. This has left many chronic pain patients frustrated and in fear of losing access to the medications that keep them functional.

The mind-altering effects of psychedelic drugs may do more than just change a person’s state of consciousness. In a new study recently published in Cell Reports, researchers at the University of California, David found that substances such as LSD, DMT and MDMA actually increased the number of neural connections between brain cells. These findings could ultimately be used to repair the damaged neural connections oftentimes observed in those suffering from depression, anxiety, PTSD, and other psychiatric disorders.

In an exciting development, Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine published the first set of guidelines for the use of ketamine for treating pain—a framework for doctors and institutions, who should get it, and who should not. Ketamine infusions have emerged as a leading option for the treatment of both chronic and acute pain. Some chronic pain patients report a reduction in pain symptoms for up to six months post-infusion. The World Health Organization lists ketamine as an essential medicine, primarily for its analgesic qualities.

Suicidal depression is not a black and white issue. There is no one cause: untreated depression, substance abuse, stress, failure to reach unrealistic expectations at home or at work—all of these may play a factor in suicidal ideation. There is also no one solution: psychotherapy, antidepressant medications, electroconvulsive therapy—although these options have been at the forefront of suicidal depression treatment for decades. Until now.

For patients suffering from mood disorders—especially severe depression or bipolar disorder—ketamine infusions can be a life-changing treatment. Effective in up to 70% of patients, ketamine rapidly alleviates the symptoms associated with depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, PTSD and other potentially debilitating psychiatric conditions. The patients who respond to ketamine treatments are often able to reclaim their lives—return to work, enjoy the hobbies they had previously lost interest in, travel with their families, and otherwise live a rich and fulfilling life.

50 percent of patients diagnosed with depression do not respond to traditional antidepressants or psychotherapy, and a new study—the largest study of its kind—says it may have to do with genetics. Researchers from the University of North Carolina School of Medicine and University of Queensland studied the potential genetic risk factors of depression, and have linked 44 genes to the mental health disorder. Depression is the leading cause of disability for Americans between the ages of 15 and 44, and results in one million suicides annually.

Without getting into a discussion about the American healthcare system, it’s no secret that mental health treatment could stand to see some improvement. The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that 6.7% of Americans have suffered a major depressive episode. Still, depression is under-diagnosed and under-treated—especially in adolescents.

Because of the occasional stigma applied to ketamine treatments, we feel it is important to share as much information about ketamine infusions as possible. For our ketamine clinic, using social media to communicate useful information to the public has been quite effective. We keep our followers abreast of the latest ketamine research and news hoping that, by educating more people about the science behind ketamine infusions, more people will become open-minded to these potentially life-changing treatments.

It’s no secret that ketamine is a highly effective treatment for depression. Study after study has shown that intravenous ketamine is effective in improving depressive symptoms in about 70% of patients. And while IV ketamine infusions have emerged as the “gold standard” in administration, newer studies have explored other routes of administration: intramuscular, sublingual, and intranasal.

From CRPS to Lyme disease, migraine headaches, fibromyalgia, and more, ketamine infusions have proven to be one of the most effective chronic pain management options. For many of our patients who receive ketamine infusions for the treatment of CRPS and other chronic pain conditions, these infusions have been life-changing. After receiving ketamine infusions, many patients find their pain levels manageable enough that they can return to a more active and fulfilling lifestyle. And isn’t that the goal?

Our Denver, Boulder and Fort Collins area ketamine clinics have been treating patients for several years now, a time period over which we’ve been able to watch the progression of this drug as it evolves. We’ve always known, without a doubt, that ketamine is highly effective for the treatment of such psychiatric disorders as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and PTSD. However, the exact mechanism that makes ketamine such an effective antidepressant has been something of a mystery to researchers and clinicians alike.

In the 1980s, a Russian research team unveiled data indicating that ketamine may be useful in the treatment of drug and alcohol dependency. In the study, 66% of patients receiving ketamine treatments maintained abstinence for an entire year, compared to 24% who received only psychological counseling. 

In August 2016, Janssen Research & Development—a Janssen Pharmaceutical Company of Johnson & Johnson—announced that an isomer of ketamine, called esketamine, had received Breakthrough Therapy Designation by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA). Similarly to ketamine, esketamine has shown huge promise as a depression treatment, especially for those experiencing suicidal ideation, or who have resisted other treatment methodologies. 

Ketamine has been around since the 60s. A popular battlefield anesthetic used liberally in the Vietnam war, ketamine has experienced something of a renaissance in recent years, emerging as a powerful treatment for depression, anxiety, psychiatric disorders, and various chronic pain conditions. It's renaissance in the realm of pain management is controversial, though—according to the National Pain Report and clinicians around the country—it should not be overlooked.

Researchers first discovered the antidepressant effects of ketamine back in 2000, and have since come to recognize the drug’s ability to improve depressive symptoms—even in patients who had not responded to other methods of treatment—in a matter of hours. Private ketamine clinics, like ours, began to open their doors around 2013, bringing hope to many people who had none. 

Ketamine has the potential to treat even the most severe cases of depression within a matter of hours. It has changed the lives of thousands of Americans. It has brought hope to those who have had none. And yet researchers still don’t know exactly how this drug works, the antidepressive mechanism still largely a mystery.

The holiday season is here, bringing along with it dozens of parties, days upon days of shopping, countless hours of gift wrapping, decorating, cooking, baking, entertaining…and, for millions of Americans, stress and depression. From dealing with unwelcome guests and overexcited children, to diet and exercise woes, the demands of the holiday season can be dizzying, to say the least.

It’s that time of the year. The time when friendly fall weather fades into frigid winter temperatures, cuing scarves and puffy coats, hot cocoa and cozy fires. And bringing with it millions of cases of seasonal affective disorder. 

At Vitalitas Denver, we use ketamine to treat patients suffering from a wide range of chronic pain conditions. From CRPS and fibromyalgia to Lyme disease and more, ketamine is absolutely one of the most effective non-opioid pain management options available to those suffering from chronic pain. But there is another condition that we’ve been able to treat remarkably successfully through the administration of ketamine infusions: migraine headaches.

When it comes to the relationship between chronic pain and depression, it’s very much a chicken-or-the-egg type of debate. The physical manifestations of depression—while hard to explain—can be quite painful: back pain, migraine headaches, etc. The mental manifestations of chronic pain can be equally troubling: stress, difficulty sleeping, low self-esteem, etc. Chronic pain and depression oftentimes work in a vicious cycle, where pain exacerbates the symptoms of depression, which, in turn, exacerbates the feelings of physical pain. And the cycle continues…

A difficult-to-diagnose bacterial infection caused by specific types of tick bites, Lyme disease – and, more specifically, chronic Lyme disease – is a debilitating condition that can leave patients with a worse quality of life than those suffering from such disorders as congestive heart failure, diabetes, multiple sclerosis and arthritis. The symptoms of Lyme are diverse: fatigue, trouble sleeping, joint and muscle pain, depression, cognitive impairment, neuropathy, and headaches are just a few of the manifestations. No matter how chronic Lyme disease presents itself, the impact is almost always devastating.

You may or may not be familiar with complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS). CRPS is a rare – and often misunderstood – chronic pain condition. Doctors and researchers don’t understand exactly how or why CRPS develops, though it generally occurs after an injury, surgery, stroke or heart attack, and results in pain that is far worse than that of the initial injury. Like most chronic pain conditions, CRPS can improve – and can even go into remission! Of course, early intervention is key to generating the most effective pain management results.

Since the beginning of the century, statistics have favored the use of ketamine for the treatment of depression. With upwards of 70% of patients responding favorably to the depression treatment, ketamine has been hailed as the most remarkable antidepressant discovery since the 1950s.

It’s estimated that 36 million people in the United States struggle with opiate addiction. More than 80% of these addictions started with a prescribed opiate painkiller. With the opioid crisis officially declared a National State of Emergency, it’s important to know what your non-narcotic pain management options are in order to prevent substance abuse and addiction issues for you or your loved ones. 

“Incredibly effective.” “Truly remarkable.” These are just a few of the comments made about the results of the latest ketamine trial – the first ever randomized control trial to study the effect of ketamine on people aged 60+ suffering from treatment resistant depression.

As the opioid epidemic continues to wreak havoc across the country, researchers are working faster and harder than ever to find alternative – but equally effective – ways to treat pain. Not surprisingly, ketamine has found itself in the mix, and the results look promising.

Ketamine has made quite a few headlines as of late. Originally introduced as an emergency room and battlefield anesthetic in the 1970s, ketamine has recently been heralded by emergency physicians and chronic pain specialists for its ability to treat chronic pain, and by mental healthcare practitioners for its ability to change the lives of patients suffering from even the most severe, treatment-resistant cases of depression.

Since 2012, it seems researchers have discovered a steady stream of new applications for ketamine. Introduced as an anesthetic in the early ‘70s, it has more recently gained popularity for its highly impressive antidepressant and antipsychotic qualities. Ketamine research shows that infusions, when administered following the proper protocol under expert supervision, dramatically improve depressive symptoms in upwards of 70% of patients. Similarly extraordinary results have manifested in ketamine studies pertaining to PTSD prevention and treatment, addiction treatment, and chronic pain management.

In life, at some point or another, everyone struggles with situational anxiety. Financial strain, emotional trauma, stress at work or school, all those anxiety-inducing what ifs. And we take a deep breath, brace ourselves, and keep moving forward the best we can. But what if you don’t?

It is hard to argue against ketamine as the most promising depression treatment available today. In 70% of patients, ketamine effectively and rapidly improves depressive symptoms, even in those patients who have historically resisted other methods of treatment. Study after study shows the same thing: ketamine works, and it works significantly better than traditional antidepressants or psychotherapy.