Ketamine Infusion FAQs

Ketamine is a non-opioid anesthetic with a central role in NMDA receptor antagonism and pain-processing modulation.

Ketamine infusions are discussed for conditions under the central sensitization umbrella, including anxiety, chronic pain, CRPS/RSD, depression, fibromyalgia, headaches, opioid-induced hyperalgesia, phantom limb pain, and PTSD.

Yes. The page explains that ketamine infusions have been used in patients with severe depression, suicidal ideation, and PTSD, including veterans and patients with major trauma histories.

Ketamine infusions can be very safe when administered in a controlled medical setting by a properly trained anesthesiologist and fellowship-trained interventional pain physician using individualized protocols.

The page explains that the results are grounded in ketamine’s effects on pathologic receptors and central nervous system signaling. Patients may notice changes lasting days, weeks, or months, but the provider and protocol matter.

The page directs patients to the Ketamine Infusion Cost page for cost details.

The page directs patients to the Ketamine Infusion Experience page for details about preparation, monitoring, side effects, recovery, and treatment goals.

The page cites multiple reasons, including lack of education in pain management, reimbursement challenges, business incentives, and physician or institutional resistance to unfamiliar treatments.

Ketamine was developed for human use and is also used in veterinary medicine. It can be abused through non-IV routes, which is why the page emphasizes physician-controlled IV infusion rather than unmonitored routes.