Ketamine for Bipolar Disorder
Fast & Efficient Bipolar Treatment in Gallatin, TN & Nashville TN
An estimated 2.8% of U.S. adults had bipolar disorder in the past year. Last year’s prevalence of bipolar disorder among adults was similar for males (2.9%) and females (2.8%). Fortunately, Three Rivers Wellness can help clients find peace of mind and substance in life with Nashville functional medicine.
If you have tried other treatments and therapies that have provided little to no relief, then you might be a good candidate for ketamine infusion therapy, a new treatment option for those battling bipolar disorder symptoms.
Ketamine Infusions for Bipolar Treatment
Ketamine infusions for bipolar disorder are quickly becoming one of the most popular treatment options for various mood disorders including anxiety, PTSD, OCD, and chronic pain.
Unlike many traditional medications like SSRIs which can take months to start working, ketamine therapy offers patients relief quickly, with some individuals reporting relief within a few hours of their first infusion session.
What Are The Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder?
While signs and symptoms can vary between individuals, the main symptoms typically include the following:
DEPRESSION
The depression phase of bipolar may include:
- Lack of appetite
- Difficulty sleeping
- Waking up early
- Suicidal thoughts
- Loss of interest in everyday activities
- Feelings of emptiness or worthlessness
- Feelings of guilt and despair
- Feeling pessimistic about everything
MANIA
The manic phase of bipolar disorder may include:
- Feeling very happy, elated, or overjoyed
- Talking very quickly
- Feeling full of energy
- Feeling self-important
- Feeling full of great new
- Ideas and having important plans
- Being easily distracted
- Being easily irritated or agitated
What Are The Types Of Bipolar Disorder?
There are a few different types of bipolar disorder, but all have common symptoms of manic and depressive episodes. It is important to verify which type you are suffering from because treatments vary.
Bipolar I Disorder – Mania and Depression
Bipolar I disorder is the most common form of bipolar disorder, and it is also the most serious. You must have had at least one manic episode, but most people with bipolar I disorder have also gone through one or more major depressive episodes.
Bipolar II Disorder – Hypomania and Depression
If you have bipolar II disorder, you will have repeating episodes of both major depression and hypomania (a less severe form of mania). If you ever go through a manic episode, your diagnosis will then be changed to bipolar I disorder.
Cyclothymia – Hypomania and Mild Depression
This is a milder form of bipolar disorder, where the mood swings are not severe enough to be categorized as mania or major depression.
How Does Ketamine Help Treat Bipolar Depression?
Scientists believe that ketamine infusions help bipolar disorder symptoms by rapidly boosting the activity of glutamate, a neurotransmitter inside the brain’s frontal cortex, while also allowing new pathways to form in the same area.
The rapid onset of ketamine’s bipolar symptom-relieving effect occurs because ketamine bypasses the conventional serotonin path and instead switches on glutamate.
This is remarkably different from conventional bipolar disorder treatments, which initially boost serotonin activity levels in several different areas of the brain to then ultimately affect glutamate. This process can take weeks or even months, while ketamine infusions can provide rapid relief from bipolar disorder symptoms.
Are There Any Adverse Effects of Ketamine?
As a new treatment option for bipolar disorder, ketamine does have a few minor side effects. These can include a dream-like feeling, disrupted vision, lightheadedness, nausea, or slight anxious feelings after treatment.
Ketamine is an FDA-approved medication utilized for infusion therapy “off-label” use. Off-label use indicates that it is a treatment that the FDA did not initially authorize. The FDA approves prescription medications only for specific uses, but most medications at some point develop off-label uses as a result of the clinical experience that develops with time.
As a good example, the FDA authorized the medication Prazosin to treat hypertension in 1976, but it is also used now to treat nightmares in individuals with PTSD, which was not approved at first.
Where Will I Receive My Ketamine Infusions?
During treatment, we go above and beyond to make sure all of our patients feel as comfortable as possible in their own private rooms. Infusions for mood disorders can typically last 40-60 minutes, while chronic pain conditions like fibromyalgia require a larger dose and can take 2-4 hours.
A number of our clients refer to a “dissociation” effect and the majority of our patients take pleasure in this sensation. For a large number of patients, this disconnection effect is what aids with your treatment and delivers a positive response to your ketamine therapy.
This is all an ordinary component of the treatment and you will always remain in a safe atmosphere with our team to monitor you and be readily available to you in any way during your infusion.
Is Ketamine Treatment The Right Solution for You?
Are you ready to take back control of your life? Are you tired of trying one medication after another, only to be left with the same symptoms of bipolar disorder? If so, ketamine infusion therapy might be an excellent option for you.
Contact Three Rivers Wellness in Gallatin, TN, & Nashville, TN, to request your consultation and learn how ketamine infusions for bipolar disorder treatment can change your life.
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