While occasional feelings of sadness are a normal part of the human experience, clinical depression is a chronic mental and behavioral health disorder characterized by persistent and prolonged sadness that significantly interferes with daily life. Affecting millions worldwide, depression can cause severe emotional distress and impair one’s ability to function at work, in relationships, and in everyday routines.
Ketamine for Depression
Embark on a journey toward emotional wellness
Rediscover Joy: Innovative Solutions for a Debiliating Disorder
When depression dims your life, innovative therapies provide a guiding light—restoring hope and empowering you to reclaim your inner strength.
Treating depression is already an uphill battle, and even among those who seek help, approximately one-third of patients do not respond adequately to traditional treatments such as antidepressants or talk therapy—a condition known as treatment-resistant depression (TRD).
Extensive research has shown that ketamine is a safe and highly effective treatment option for individuals with TRD. It has demonstrated rapid improvements in mood and relief from depressive symptoms, particularly in cases where conventional methods have failed.
AVYIA’s Ketamine Therapy Program is thoughtfully designed to treat Major Depression Disorder, Treatment Resistant Disorder, Suicidal Ideation, Postpartum Depression and other mental health conditions
Ketamine therapy has shown effectiveness across several types of depression, offering rapid relief where traditional treatments often fall short. For individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD), ketamine can significantly reduce symptoms such as persistent sadness, lack of motivation, and emotional numbness—often within hours or days. It is especially beneficial for those experiencing treatment-resistant depression (TRD), where multiple antidepressants and therapies have failed to provide adequate relief. Ketamine is also used to address persistent depressive disorder, or dysthymia, a long-term form of low-grade depression that can be difficult to manage with standard treatments.
For individuals living with bipolar disorder (depression and anxiety), ketamine may help relieve depressive episodes when administered under clinical supervision, though it is not used during manic phases. One of ketamine’s most critical applications is in cases involving suicidal ideation. Studies have shown that ketamine can rapidly reduce or even eliminate suicidal thoughts, making it a vital option for individuals in crisis. Additionally, emerging research suggests ketamine may be helpful in treating postpartum depression, offering fast and safe mood stabilization during a particularly vulnerable period. At AVYIA, our personalized ketamine therapy programs are tailored to each individual’s needs, supporting fast relief and long-term mental wellness.
“Once you choose hope, anything is possible.” — Christopher Reeve
Key Statistics for Depression in the US
Using an eye mask helps to block out external visual stimuli, which allows patients to focus inward and have a more immersive experience. It also enhances relaxation and provides a sense of privacy when experiencing their ketamine treatments.
How Does Ketamine Treat Depression?
Depression is a multifaceted disorder that often evades conventional treatment strategies, particularly in patients with treatment-resistant depression. Ketamine offers a novel therapeutic approach by rapidly modulating key neural circuits and fostering adaptive neuroplasticity. Unlike traditional antidepressants that may take weeks to exert their effects, ketamine’s unique mechanisms of action enable rapid symptom improvement and durable changes in neural connectivity.
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NMDA Receptor Blockade:
Ketamine acts as a non-competitive antagonist at the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor, inhibiting its activity and thereby reducing glutamate-mediated excitotoxicity. This blockade decreases the excessive calcium influx into neurons—a process linked to neuronal damage and impaired synaptic function—thus stabilizing neurotransmission and setting the stage for recovery in neuronal circuits affected by depression.
Glutamate and AMPA Regulation:
By reducing NMDA receptor activity, ketamine indirectly enhances the signaling of α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) receptors. The subsequent increase in AMPA-to-NMDA receptor throughput is thought to elevate synaptic strength and plasticity. This adjustment helps restore normal synaptic function and connectivity, which is critical in reversing the neural network disruptions observed in depressive states.
Enhanced Neuroplasticity:
Ketamine stimulates the production of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and activates the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway, both of which are central to promoting synaptogenesis and dendritic spine formation. Additionally, by inhibiting eEF2 kinase, ketamine facilitates the translation of proteins necessary for synaptic remodeling. These molecular events contribute to the rapid reorganization of neural circuits, effectively “rewiring” the brain to support improved mood regulation and cognitive function.
Rapid Symptom Relief:
The convergence of NMDA receptor blockade, enhanced AMPA receptor activity, and subsequent neuroplastic changes underpins ketamine’s ability to deliver clinical improvements within hours to days. This rapid onset of action is particularly beneficial for patients with severe or refractory depressive symptoms, providing a critical window of relief and potentially mitigating the risk of acute crises such as suicidal ideation.
Overall Safety and Accessibility:
Despite its complex pharmacodynamics, a sub-anesthetic dose ketamine is associated with a favorable safety profile when administered in controlled clinical settings. Its inclusion in the World Health Organization’s List of Essential Medicines underscores its efficacy, safety, and cost-effectiveness as a therapeutic agent in modern psychiatry. These factors collectively make ketamine a viable option for a wide range of depressive disorders, especially in cases where conventional treatments have failed.
What Happens During Ketamine Treatment?
IV or Nasal Ketamine Treatment
Ketamine therapy administered via intravenous infusion lasts around 40 minutes and is dosed lower than what’s used in anesthesia cases. AVYIA’s IV program consists of 6 treatment sessions over 3 weeks. Alternatively, nasal inhalation treatments consists of 8 treatments over 4 weeks. These evidenced-based programs are designed to help patients reach optimal results, while being mindful of costs. Additional single booster sessions may be required from time to time should the patient relapse from their symptoms.
During each treatment session, patients are encouraged to lay comfortably, listen to smoothing music and have eye shades on. This environment is ideal due to ketamine’s psychedelic and dissociative effects, or out-of-body experience. These effects are short-lived, and disappear shortly after the treatment is completed. Each appointment lasts approximately 2 hours, which includes assessment, treatment, and monitoring time.
Microdosing Treatment
An alternative option to IV or intranasal ketamine is daily microdosing in oral sublingual form (under the tongue). As the name suggests, patients in this program take a smaller dose of ketamine than they would receive in IV or nasal form, but therapeutic effects are achieved by taking ketamine on a daily basis. This is a great option if patients do not wish to undergo the dissociative effects associated with IV and nasal ketamine.
AVYIA’s providers will guide you through the entire process, as well as teach you how to titrate and manage your daily doses. Typically, your ketamine will be taken once at night, but may vary from patient to patient based on individual needs and medical backgrounds. Side effects are generally rare, minimal, or well tolerated. AVYIA monitors and follows patients closely for safety and progress assessments.
See Our StoryWhat Does Ketamine Feel Like?
Depression
Therapeutic IV or Intranasal Treatment
Patients should expect relatively rapid symptom relief when starting ketamine. For some, relief comes in minutes or hours, but for others, relief may come after a few treatment sessions. Psychedelic or dissociative effects may occur during IV or intranasal ketamine therapy. Patients often describe feeling as if they are floating outside their bodies, leaving their physical selves behind, and experience heightened sensory awareness. Visual and auditory perceptions may be enhanced. Colors may seem brighter and sounds to be more clear. Commonly referred to as “a trip,” this is also called the dissociative effect or psychedelic effect, and does not last long after the ketamine treatment is completed. Some patients are mildly anxious or emotional during their experiences, while others enjoy the experience or find it enlightening. Everyone, and every experience is different.
Occasionally, a patient may come out of the treatment with a false epiphany, such as knowing the meaning of life, or other grand ideas. This is also short-lived, as these ideas disappear in a day or two. We recommend against making rash decisions off of these ideas.
Depression
Microdosing Treatment
The intensity of the drug’s effect is typically lower in oral microdosing compared to IV or intranasal ketamine. However, patients microdosing ketamine should expect noticeable relief of symptoms within the first few days to a week of starting the drug. Some may experience a gradual improvement, and others a sudden change in improved mood. We commonly see patients noticing their symptoms “just lifted all of a sudden.” Sustaining symptom relief is obviously the initial goal, but complete remission is what is ultimately desired.
Ketamine in microdose form requires an easy-to-follow titration of the drug with the guidance of AVYIA’s clinicians. This is to help prevent dosing to the point of dissociation. The goal of microdosing ketamine is to avoid the dissociative effects so that patients may continue daily life without impairment.
Call usWhat Are the Different Types of Depression?
What Happens After Your Ketamine Treatment?
Sustaining Therapeutic Gains
Ketamine—whether administered via IV infusion, intranasal spray, IM injection, or microdosing tablets—can provide rapid relief from depressive symptoms. However, the duration of these therapeutic effects varies from person to person. For some, disease remission is achieved after completing a treatment program, while for others, the initial benefits may be temporary, with symptoms gradually resurfacing over time. Booster sessions using any of these routes can help sustain and extend the treatment response, providing ongoing relief from depressive or anxiety symptoms.
Long-Term Remission Maintenance
In some individuals, ketamine therapy induces long-lasting remission, resulting in a significant reduction or complete absence of symptoms for years. Others may need periodic booster sessions or transition to a microdosing regimen—typically administered sublingually—to maintain remission. The ultimate goal is to reach a point where patients no longer require ketamine or any medication to sustain a healthy state of mind.
Individual Variation in Response
There is considerable variability in how long remission lasts and how quickly it is achieved. While many patients attain remission after completing an IV or intranasal ketamine program, others—especially those using microdosing protocols via sublingual tablets—may see optimal results over 8–9 months. Additionally, the response to IM injections may vary based on individual metabolism and dosing precision. At AVYIA, we work closely with every patient, using a personalized, patient-centered approach to help achieve the best possible outcome.
Optimizing Treatment Outcomes
Frequent follow-ups and post-treatment assessments are integral to AVYIA’s approach, ensuring optimal outcomes and high patient satisfaction. After a course of treatment—whether via IV, intranasal, IM, or microdosing methods—patients receive thorough post-treatment assessments. For those on microdosing regimens, clinicians maintain constant contact to titrate doses and monitor progress, ensuring that each patient’s treatment is continuously optimized for long-term success.
Why Should I Use Ketamine for Depression?
Rapid Onset and Cumulative Benefits
Ketamine therapy, administered via IV infusion, IM injection, intranasal spray, or microdosing tablets, often produces rapid antidepressant effects. Recent data indicate that significant improvements can occur within hours after the initial session, with benefits accruing over subsequent treatments. For example, Wilkinson et al. (2021) demonstrated that patients with treatment-resistant depression can experience rapid symptom relief after just one infusion, with additional sessions further consolidating these gains.
Robust Clinical Evidence
Recent high-quality studies continue to validate ketamine’s effectiveness across various delivery routes. In a landmark study, Wilkinson et al. (2021) reported that nearly 70% of patients with treatment-resistant depression achieved a marked reduction in symptoms after a single treatment session. Similar efficacy has been observed with intranasal and sublingual administration, supporting ketamine’s broad utility in rapidly reducing depressive symptoms.
Faster Relief Than Traditional Therapies
While traditional antidepressants and psychotherapies may take several weeks or even months to produce significant improvements, ketamine therapy offers a much faster onset of action. Meta-analyses and recent clinical trials (e.g., Wilkinson et al., 2021) have shown that the antidepressant effects of ketamine can emerge within hours, providing critical relief for patients suffering from severe or treatment-resistant depression. This rapid response is particularly valuable in acute situations, where immediate mood stabilization is essential.
Limitations of Conventional Medications
Conventional antidepressants are frequently associated with a high incidence of adverse side effects. Recent meta-analyses have highlighted that a significant number of patients experience persistent issues such as sexual dysfunction, weight gain, and emotional blunting. For instance, a review by Serretti and Chiesa (2009) —and supported by more recent real-world evidence—indicates that up to 50% of patients on SSRIs may suffer from sexual side effects, contributing to treatment discontinuation and reduced quality of life.
Challenges in Antidepressant Selection
The trial-and-error process inherent in selecting an effective antidepressant remains a significant clinical challenge. The STAR*D study (Rush et al., 2006) remains a cornerstone in this area, showing that only about 30% of patients achieve remission with their first-line antidepressant. More recent follow-up analyses have echoed these findings, illustrating that many patients endure months of suboptimal treatment before finding a regimen that works, further underscoring the need for rapid-acting alternatives like ketamine.
Prevalence of Treatment Resistance
Treatment resistance is a pervasive issue in managing major depression. Recent systematic reviews and meta-analyses have found that approximately 30% of patients do not respond adequately to conventional treatment modalities—including antidepressants, various classes of psychotropic medications, and psychotherapy. This high rate of treatment resistance reinforces the urgent need for innovative therapies like ketamine, which can offer rapid and sustained relief where traditional treatments have failed.
Depression Treatments Available at AVYIA
At AVYIA, we understand that depression can manifest in various forms, affecting individuals in unique ways. We offer a safe and effective treatment options to help you overcome all types of depression.
Microdosing Tablet
$125 per Month / $4 per Daily Dose
Telehealth, Follow-ups, and Medication
Intravenous Infusion
6 treatments in 2-3 weeks / $3000 for 6 dosing sessions
Includes Telehealth, 6 home visits and medication
Intranasal Spray
8 treatments in 4 weeks / $3600 for 8 dosing sessions
Includes Telehealth, 8 home visits and medication
Intramuscular Injections
8 Treatments in 3-4 Weeks / $3600 for 8 Monitored Sessions
Includes Telehealth, 8 Home Visits and Medication
Frequently asked questions
Explain AVYIA's Ketamine Treatment Programs for Depression?
AVYIA offers ketamine in four routes of administration (programs): intravenous, intranasal, intramuscular, and oral microdosing.
Intravenous (IV):
6 treatment sessions over 2–3 weeks.
This is the most studied and clinically preferred method of administration. IV infusions offer 100% bioavailability and allow for precise dosage titration, enabling rapid onset of therapeutic effects and sustained relief throughout each session.
Intranasal:
8 treatment sessions over 3–4 weeks.
An easy-to-use nasal spray administered under the supervision of a clinician. This method is ideal for patients with a fear of needles. While bioavailability is slightly lower than IV, it still delivers effective results in a less invasive way.
Intramuscular (IM):
8 treatment sessions over 3–4 weeks.
A single injection into the muscle—usually the arm or thigh. IM ketamine provides rapid onset and high bioavailability, and is a convenient alternative for patients seeking shorter in-home visits. It is also useful in maintenance therapy or when IV access is challenging.
Oral Microdosing:
Ketamine is taken as a liquid solution or tablet placed under the tongue (sublingual), allowing it to be absorbed into the bloodstream while bypassing the digestive system. This low-dose regimen is designed to provide therapeutic benefits without inducing dissociative effects.
What Is the Success Rate of Treating Depression with Ketamine?
Results vary from patient to patient and study to study, but most of the available data comes from research using IV ketamine administration. When reviewing the most recent body of scientific literature on ketamine infusions, approximately 70% of patients reported mood improvement after multiple treatment sessions.
A 2020 review by Wilkowska et al. reported a 63.2% to 73.7% remission rate—defined as a significant reduction or complete disappearance of symptoms—after six low-dose ketamine treatments. Outcomes from single treatment sessions were notably less favorable compared to those from multiple-session protocols.
At AVYIA, we recommend combining ketamine infusions with ketamine-assisted psychotherapy, which includes individualized counseling or therapy sessions designed to enhance and prolong treatment outcomes.
The duration of remission—or how long a patient remains depression-free after completing a treatment program—can vary from weeks to months, or even years. Because each individual responds differently, outcomes cannot be predicted with certainty. Some patients may require booster sessions if symptoms return.
Can I Eat or Drink Before the Treatment?
No. We ask patients to fast 6-8 hours prior to each IV, IM or intranasal treatment.
Microdose patients may resume normal daily life without any dietary restrictions.
Will Ketamine Treatments Get Me "High" on a Psychedelic Trip?
With IV, IM, and intranasal ketamine treatments, patients may experience mild hallucinations (psychedelic effects)and dissociative sensations (such as out-of-body experiences). It’s also common to feel drowsy or fatigued following a session. Some patients have reported transient thoughts or “false epiphanies”—such as the sensation of having discovered the meaning of life. While these experiences can feel profound, we advise against making any major life decisions immediately after treatment.
These effects are temporary and typically resolve shortly after the session ends.
Driving or engaging in potentially dangerous activities should be avoided until any cognitive or physical impairment has fully subsided. Our healthcare provider will monitor you post-treatment to ensure your safety, and we strongly recommend that a responsible adult accompany you during and after your session.
With AVYIA’s microdosing regimen, dissociative effects are minimized by administering a low daily dose via a sublingual tablet. This approach delivers therapeutic benefits without the intensity of traditional psychedelic experiences.
What Are the Side Effects of Ketamine Therapy?
Ketamine is a safe and well-tolerated medication, particularly when administered under the supervision of a trained clinician. Most patients tolerate ketamine well, though some may experience drowsiness or mild nausea.
Nausea during IV or intranasal treatments can be easily managed with antiemetics (anti-nausea medications). For those using microdose ketamine, nausea is typically resolved through simple adjustments to dosage or timing.
Another potential side effect is transient hypertension—a temporary elevation in blood pressure—which may occur during IV, intramuscular (IM), or intranasal administration. In most cases, blood pressure normalizes shortly after the treatment session ends. Patients with a history of hypertension will be screened and closely monitored, and ketamine may be delayed or adjusted for individuals with uncontrolled high blood pressure.
Psychedelic and dissociative effects are most commonly associated with IV, IM, or intranasal routes, but these effects are generally short-lived and subside quickly after the session.
How Many Infusions Are Needed Treat Depression?
AVYIA recommends 6 Ketamine IV infusions over a 3 week period for optimal results. Intranasal Ketamine is an acceptable alternative that uses 8 treatments over 4 weeks. Some patients go into complete disease remission after completing a treatment program, meaning they are essentially “cured.” Others see their symptoms relapse after a period of time. We cannot predict if and when depression symptoms come back.
Following the completion of an initial treatment program, patients may commence in a maintenance program should their symptoms relapse, wherein they are eligible to receive discounted single booster treatments as needed until remission is achieved.
Are There Any Medical Conditions That Can Affect the Treatment?
Healthy teens and adults typically tolerate ketamine safely, with minimal to no side effects. At AVYIA, our clinicians conduct regular and close follow-ups with each patient to ensure safety and optimal outcomes throughout the treatment process.
Patients with a history of hypertension (high blood pressure) should continue taking their prescribed medications and ensure their blood pressure is well-controlled—ideally below 140/100 mmHg. For those with uncontrolled readings, adjustments to medication or lifestyle may be necessary before beginning treatment. Close blood pressure monitoring is performed during each IV, IM (intramuscular), or intranasal ketamine session, and in rare cases, an additional dose of antihypertensive medication may be administered to lower blood pressure safely during treatment.
Patients who are currently or recently experiencing psychosis, mania, or hypomania are not candidates for ketamine therapy, as it may worsen these symptoms. Once stabilized and at baseline mental health, we welcome you to schedule a medical assessment to determine your eligibility. We’re here to support you and are happy to work with your mental health provider and loved ones during this time.
Ketamine is generally contraindicated for individuals with:
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Schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder
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Interstitial cystitis
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Uncontrolled hypertension
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Certain severe cardiovascular conditions
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Elevated intracranial pressure or a history of intracranial bleeding
If you have any questions about your medical history or whether ketamine therapy is right for you, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We’re here to help guide you safely and compassionately through the process.
