Ketamine infusion

Hello-
I am a 46 -year old dude. New to this site. I have read many of the posts. I have suffered from unrelenting treatment-resistant depression for over 35 years. It started when I was about 11 and has not let up since. I have been on almost every anti-depressant out there. Tried many rounds of shock treatment and TMS. Nothing has worked. I know as you got older the depression takes on a life of it's own. It pretty much has destroyed my life. Feel like I'm drowning. I have looked into these new ketamine infusions and they seem to offer some realm of hope.Does anyone else out there know where one can access these things. I live in Las Vegas. I know they cost between $300 to $500 a session. I am on SSDI and can't afford it.Do any of these places take charity cases? I know that sounds pathetic but that is my status. I looked into clinical trials for ketamine,and I called a leading ketamine enthusiast named Dr.Carlos Zarate. Yet none of these places ever called me back. Thank You-Steve

I'm not sure charities would be able to until it gains fda approval? Hopefully, not much longer?

Financing is often available through the psychiatrist’s office. I just finished my infusions and I’m on SSDI, too.

It was worth every penny. Whether it will last remains to be seen. However, in addition to knocking my depression out of the park...it helped my C-PTSD by leaps and bounds. I’m confident it won’t revert, I truly am.

(I’m referring to my C-PTSD not reverting. Being that I have rapid cycling bipolar disorder, it’s likely I’ll have a depressive episode again at some point. But this one is GONE.)

Good luck!

After fighting to refrain from suicidal behavior for 10 years and trying many different meds in many different combinations, I learned that ketamine can be taken intranasally. A compounding pharmacy that is 45 minutes away from me makes it (with a prescription from my regular pdoc). It has been amazing. Indescribable. Miraculous.

It costs me $65/month, I take it weekly. Way cheaper than infusions. I'd have forked out the $ for infusions if I could have found a place to get them-closest place to me is about 3 hours away and of course you have to have a ride home. I take the intranasal ketamine at home, when I am home for the day. I wouldn't want to drive right after taking it (or balance my checkbook) but I am fine by the next morning.

I have heard of low income patients getting the treatment as part of studies and research related to ketamine treatment. There are ongoing research studies for copycat drugs now. One is being conducted by Segal Trials. You can also just google “medical research “ and follow those leads down.
I am a couple steps behind you. I am about to start TMS now, with ketamine, ECT only left to try from there. I refuse to try ECT, so if TMS doesn’t work, ketamine is my last resort. I am hope you find something that works for you.

I just wanted to throw this in the conversation have you tried ketamine nasally. I have been on it for awhile now for migraines and it is very cheap even without insurance. I know that ketamine is beginning to be used for depression nasally at least in some places. Sorry, I can't help you more with the infusion question but I had looked into it myself a while back and they all seemed to be fairly expensive. I know my prescription cost like $50 a month without insurance for the nasal spray so maybe you could look into that. Hope this info helps.

I'm wondering about psilocybin treatment. There's a news segment on a guy who successfully used it. Grew it himself at home. but his problem was migraines.

Psychedelic psilocybin therapy for depression granted Breakthrough Therapy status by FDA

"In an extraordinary step forward for the psychedelic drug research community, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has just given psilocybin therapy for treatment-resistant depression a Breakthrough Therapy designation. This classification suggests the treatment has demonstrated significant potential in early clinical evidence, allowing the FDA to assist and expedite subsequent development and review processes."