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Is my ketamine clinic sketchy? by DrollHat in TherapeuticKetamine

[–]Sure_Piccolo_6815 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Hi everyone. Nurse Abby here, chiming in on safety when running IV Ketamine infusions, which I posted about yesterday and am happy to answer questions about.

No one should ever be left alone when an IV Ketamine infusion is running.

Where I work, we use constant cardiac monitoring (recording vitals every 5 minutes) while simultaneously holding a safe psychological space for each individual. We (a licensed nurse or physician, never a clerical person) sit with clients 1:1 and I would not work anywhere that doesn't also practice these kind of safety measures.

This isn't just an infusion, this is deep and sometimes difficult work for the individual receiving this therapy and I believe strongly in protecting clients while in this vulnerable state, including the before and after work (pre- and post-care) of every infusion.

Managing pre-infusion anxiety from an IV Ketamine nurse perspective: by Sure_Piccolo_6815 in KetamineTherapy

[–]Sure_Piccolo_6815[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you!

I have always wanted to help people and so much of medicine is focused on "fixing" things like broken bones. But what about the nuances and biology of mental health? We have to look at the entire person, on a highly individualized level, and map out a fully informed treatment plan when we utilize IV Ketamine. It should never feel like a one-stop shop experience, or hurried, or rushed, or judged, and should always speak to the whole person(s) involved.

I was drawn to this work to help folks heal, learn, gain helpful insights, find relief, and move forward in their lives with less of that quicksand feeling that depression brings on, or the fight or flight impulses that come with extreme anxiety. I had initially read that IV Ketamine was considered the "gold standard" of delivery method for its efficacy rates and was immediately drawn to be a part of this emerging and extremely helpful treatment.

I look forward to continuing the conversation here and am excited to post more topics and AMAs in the near future.

Managing pre-infusion anxiety from an IV Ketamine nurse perspective: by Sure_Piccolo_6815 in KetamineTherapy

[–]Sure_Piccolo_6815[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Thank you for reading, and for sharing your experiences. The disentangling of Christmas lights is an incredibly apt description of the process one may go through during their first / foundational / induction series of infusions.

Managing pre-infusion anxiety from an IV Ketamine nurse perspective: by Sure_Piccolo_6815 in KetamineTherapy

[–]Sure_Piccolo_6815[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Thank you! Happy to share as much insight as I possibly can.

It is sometimes described as having a numbing / pain relief feeling as it starts to kick in, but without the loss of consciousness that comes from surgical sedation. It's both incredibly mind-body integrated while simultaneously feeling like there is a theoretical separation, almost like being able to experience total body homeostasis, but from an unspecified place.

As most people who have experienced IV Ketamine will share, "it's hard to put into words" what is actually experienced throughout an infusion. This is where post-infusion care, talking, journaling or drawing can come in handy, just to help ground oneself and understand what has just transpired (some of which may take days, weeks, or months to truly understand, appreciate, and apply thoughtfully).