FDA safety information:

Ketamine is not currently FDA approved for treatment of depression or anxiety and is an off label usage for these indications.

Side effects may include: anxiety, altered sense of time, synesthesia (mixing of senses for example: hearing colors, seeing sounds, or feeling shapes), loss of appetite, increased blood pressure and heart rate, blurred vision, increased intraocular and intracranial pressure. diminished ability of senses, slurred speech, restlessness, confusion, nausea/vomiting, nystagmus and excitability.

The following conditions can be CONTRAINDICATIONS (make you ineligible ) for ketamine assisted therapy:

• Uncontrolled/untreated hypertension (high blood pressure)

• Congestive heart failure or other impaired cardiac status (heart disease)

• Severe COPD (severe breathing problems)

• Schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorders

• Severe personality disorders

• Seizure disorders

• Personal or family history of psychosis or mania

• Obsessive compulsive disorder

• Allergy to ketamine

• History of increased intraocular or intracranial pressure

• Other serious medical illnesses

• Pregnancy, trying to become pregnant, or breast feeding

KNOWN SIDE EFFECTS

• Lasting adverse effects are rare when carefully following prescribed medical protocols.

• Ketamine has not been shown to be physically addictive but a small percentage of recreational users have shown psychological addiction or dependency.

• Rarely in frequent users people have reported increased frequency of urinating, decreased urination, bladder pain, pain with urination, blood in the urine, and cystitis.

• Emergence reaction (psychosis) and users with a personal or family history of psychosis should be cautious around the use of all psychoactive substances.

• Dissociative effects and cognitive fog may increase patient vulnerability and the risk of accidents.

• Possible lowered threshold of seizures.

• Nausea and vomiting.

To create the highest degree of safety when being treated with ketamine, the following should be upheld:

• Do not drive or operate machinery after a ketamine experience until you have had a full night’s sleep

• You must have a person known to you pick you up from a ketamine appointment

• Refrain from taking benzodiazepines and stimulants 24 hours prior to a treatment (make sure your physician is aware of ALL of your medications, prescribed or otherwise)

• Continue to take antihypertensives (blood pressure medication) as prescribed

• Refrain from eating 6-4 hours prior to a ketamine session and liquids an hour before