Ketamine

Feeling a little better today but it could be that I started taking Xanax again. Yesterday I was really anxious.

I just started seeing the ads for this. I doubt medicaid will cover it but maybe down the line it will be an option!

T says my affect is so much better. She thinks I should continue with the treatments. I feel a little hypomanic today but they said that could happen.

Well I am going to give it another go. My T thinks it is the right thing to do. Also the dr said others may see a difference before I do.

Just had treatment #3. I really don’t like the way it makes me feel. Hoping to see results. My T thinks it is working. I don’t mind the little bursts of hypomanic. I just wish they would last longer.

So I did the full cycle of 6 treatments. It might of helped a little but I had so much going on in my life that it was hard to tell. But I got great news today. Insurance is covering more than half the cost. I thought for sure they would deny it because I have never heard of anyone getting it covered.

Crooks... Were the ketamine infusions successful? Please rate from 1 to 10 for effectiveness. Or, like quite a few others are you unsure if you really benefitted? There seem to be a lot of people who are confused about how much of a diff ketamine actually made for them. Are you now continuing w/ ketamine boosters? Do you now feel more motivation and have more drive than before the infusions? Do you think ketamine is primarily more helpful for bi-polar folks? Seems like Uni-polar people are getting even more desperate due to speculation ketamine is not as helpful for us I know I am..

I tried KETAMINE INFUSIONS 5+ years ago before the protocol was set. My treatments were awful. The dr was clueless. (I was one of his very first pts. He didn't even have an office).
...I'm too depressed now to post more about the very expensive poorly regulated treatments I received. maybe Later.

Anyway; I was left very devastated & sadly thinking that I was a non-responder for all these many years... Since then I've discovered that my treatments were either not full dose or not given correctly...OR whatever???....... Soooo now almost 6 yrs later I am reluctantly considering trying ketamine once again. UGH!!!...(with a DIFFERENT DOCTOR!) IDK....It is .another huge expense & I'm even more doubtful NOW after the failure almost 6 years ago

PLEASE...Anyone w/ knowledge or experience I need your help. Your advice &/or suggestions will be so very appreciated.

BTW...I felt horrible during the infusions & for weeks afterwards last time, maybe b/c I had no aftercare (or during care really), ...perhaps that would make a diff. this time; IDK? Anyone else feel terrible?

Thank You in advance for any guidance you can offer ! Sincerely; maydaymayday.

I didn’t think it was working at first. The first round was 6 infusions. The dr said if I didn’t notice a change after 2 we would stop. I was having a lot of external stress from work at the time so I didn’t feel like it was working but my T said my affect looked lifted. So I decided to continue. I didn’t like how the infusions made me feel but eventually got used to it. I did all 6 infusions and about 2 weeks later when the work stuff was calming down I started feeling better. I pretty much have no suicidal thoughts anymore just the occasional one here and there. Not constant like before. I got a little hypomanic which I don’t mind. I just got a booster. I went 11.5 weeks before the booster and the dr said that is the longest he has seen. People average 6-8 weeks before a booster. I really wasn’t going stick with it but others were telling me I looked and sounded better so I kept going. I would rate it an 8.

I hated ect too! Good luck! I wish you wellness

Thank's for the reply.

An 8 is a very high rating for something you are not sure you really feel so I am impressed! So happy your insurance covered half the cost. Never heard of that before!
May I ask what ins this is so I can tell my ins company? Ket works better for bi-polar it seems.

BTW....If you had to pay the entire $600.00 to $700.00 for the booster yourself . would you still continue? Just wondering.

I have a branch of Cigna. Also my Dr is the cheapest around he only charges $425 per infusion. I thought from the beginning that I was going to have to pay the whole thing. I just submitted it to insurance on a whim. I am glad I did. Figured worse thing they could do was deny it. Yeah I am the first patient that has gotten any money back do my Dr was thrilled.

The lack of suicidal thoughts was big for me. Plus making hypomanic was a nice bonus. I have done ECT before and will never do that again. Ketamine didn’t really have any side effects except feeling a little loopy afterwards and tired. I would take a nap almost every time.