How Ketamine Feels: A Smart Patient's Guide to Ketamine Therapy
March 2, 2022
Medication interactions are an important concern for patients considering ketamine therapy for treatment-resistant depression, anxiety, PTSD, or chronic pain. Maybe you’re investigating how ketamine may impact the performance of ADHD medications like Adderall, Vyvanse, and Ritalin. Perhaps you’re looking for information about possible reactions between ketamine infusions and your blood pressure or pain relief prescriptions. Whatever combination of conditions you’re hoping to treat, understanding the clinical risks and benefits of ketamine’s interactions with your daily medications is crucial.
We at Transcend Health Solutions in San Antonio and Austin want to empower you to make informed decisions about your overall health, Here is our condensed guide to ketamine’s interactions with common daily meds, to help you start your conversation about ketamine-assisted psychotherapy with our specialists and the rest of your healthcare team.
Originally an anesthetic, ketamine has gained recognition for its rapid-acting antidepressant effects, often providing relief within hours or days. It works by blocking NMDA receptors and affecting glutamate, a mechanism different from traditional psychiatric medications—making medication interaction awareness essential.
When considering KAP as part of your depression treatment, it's important to understand how it might interact with medications you're already taking. Antidepressants generally pose minimal concerns—SSRIs and SNRIs typically work alongside ketamine without significant issues, though your individual response may vary. However, MAOIs present more serious considerations, as combining them with ketamine could potentially cause dangerous spikes in blood pressure and heart rate.
If you're taking benzodiazepines like Xanax or Klonopin, we may need to discuss temporary adjustments before your treatment. These medications can sometimes diminish ketamine's therapeutic benefits, so timing modifications might help you get the most from your sessions.
For patients managing hypertension, we pay special attention to your blood pressure medications. Since ketamine can temporarily elevate blood pressure, we'll monitor you carefully during treatment and may recommend dosage adjustments to maintain cardiovascular stability.
Pain management medications require different considerations. If you're taking opioids, we'll need to carefully monitor your treatment due to how these medications can collectively affect respiratory function. Interestingly, ketamine may actually help reduce opioid requirements for some pain patients, potentially offering a beneficial approach to pain management.
Fortunately, most over-the-counter pain relievers like ibuprofen and naproxen generally don't interact significantly with ketamine and can usually be continued as normal. However, while ketamine and NSAIDs like ibuprofen are generally safe to use together, caution should be exercised when these medications are combined with other substances, such as phenylephrine, that can affect cardiovascular function. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting or combining medications to ensure safety and efficacy.
Medications prescribed for ADHD, such as Adderall or Ritalin, may intensify some of ketamine's cardiovascular effects. Our providers may recommend timing adjustments or temporary dosage modifications.
Elderly patients, those with liver or kidney conditions, and pregnant or breastfeeding women require additional considerations due to increased interaction risks or limited safety data.
At Transcend Health Solutions in San Antonio and Austin, we implement a comprehensive approach to managing ketamine interactions with daily meds:
To help us evaluate any potential interactions between your daily medications and your ketamine therapy, please bring:
Understanding how ketamine interacts with your daily medications is essential for safe, effective treatment. Don't let uncertainty prevent you from exploring this potentially life-changing option. Contact Transcend Health Solutions today to schedule a free consultation at our San Antonio or Austin location.
Our knowledgeable team will evaluate your medication regimen, answer your questions, and help determine if ketamine therapy is right for you. Your journey toward improved mental health begins with reaching out—let us guide you through the process with expertise and compassion.
Will Ratliff, RN, LP, is the Co-Founder and Director of Operations at Transcend Health Solutions, a leading provider of Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) in Austin and San Antonio, Texas. A former flight medic and registered nurse, Will has directly facilitated more than 5,000 IV Ketamine infusions, collaborating closely with KAP therapists to support clients with depression, trauma, anxiety, and treatment-resistant conditions. Alongside Dr. Cord Cunningham, he helped pioneer a real-time titration protocol for IV Ketamine, an innovation that has positioned Transcend as a national leader in evidence-based KAP delivery.
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