[City, State] – [Date] – Contemporary Care reports significant success treating depression with ketamine therapy, offering rapid relief to patients who haven’t responded to traditional antidepressants. The practice, led by Dr. Tarique Perera, provides both intravenous ketamine infusions and Spravato esketamine nasal spray.

Rapid-Acting Treatment for Severe Depression

Unlike traditional antidepressants requiring weeks before producing noticeable improvement, ketamine often reduces depression symptoms within hours or days. This rapid response makes ketamine valuable for severe depression, particularly when suicide risk requires urgent intervention.

Dr. Perera serves on Janssen’s Advisory Board, the pharmaceutical company that developed Spravato esketamine nasal spray. His expertise helped develop treatment protocols now used nationwide, positioning Contemporary Care at the forefront of ketamine therapy delivery.

How Ketamine Works

Ketamine works through different brain mechanisms than traditional antidepressants. While SSRIs and SNRIs affect serotonin and norepinephrine systems, ketamine acts on glutamate, the brain’s primary excitatory neurotransmitter. This different mechanism explains why ketamine helps patients who haven’t responded to multiple conventional antidepressants.

The medication blocks NMDA receptors, leading to increased glutamate release and activation of AMPA receptors. This cascade triggers brain-derived neurotrophic factor release, promoting new neural connections. These neuroplastic changes likely underlie ketamine’s rapid and sustained antidepressant effects.

Brain imaging studies show that ketamine increases activity in brain regions showing reduced function in depression. These changes occur quickly, correlating with rapid symptom improvement. The neuroplastic effects continue after ketamine clears from the body, explaining sustained benefits beyond the medication’s half-life.

Intravenous Ketamine Infusions

Contemporary Care offers IV ketamine infusions for treatment-resistant depression. Initial treatment courses typically involve six infusions over two to three weeks. Each infusion lasts about 40 minutes, with patients remaining at the clinic for two hours total including monitoring time.

During infusions, patients relax in comfortable treatment rooms. Vital signs are monitored throughout treatment. Most people experience dissociative effects during infusions, feeling detached from their surroundings or having altered sensory perceptions. These effects resolve within minutes after infusions end.

The first infusion reveals how individuals respond to ketamine. Some people notice mood improvement within hours. Others require several infusions before benefits become apparent. Contemporary Care monitors response carefully, adjusting treatment plans based on individual patterns.

After completing initial courses, maintenance infusions maintain benefits. Scheduling varies by individual need, ranging from every few weeks to every few months. Patients and clinicians work together determining optimal maintenance schedules based on symptom patterns.

Spravato Esketamine Treatment

Esketamine, a nasal spray formulation of ketamine’s active component, received FDA approval in 2019 for treatment-resistant depression. Contemporary Care began offering Spravato soon after approval and has extensive experience with this treatment option.

Esketamine requires less time than IV infusions, with patients self-administering the nasal spray under medical supervision. Treatments occur twice weekly initially, then weekly, with frequency adjusted based on response. Each session lasts about two hours including monitoring time.

FDA approval requires patients take oral antidepressants concurrently with esketamine. This combination approach addresses depression through multiple mechanisms. Contemporary Care’s psychiatrists optimize oral medication regimens alongside esketamine treatment.

Insurance coverage for esketamine varies by carrier and requires prior authorization. Contemporary Care’s staff handle authorization processes, submitting documentation supporting medical necessity. Most major insurers cover esketamine for appropriate patients, though out-of-pocket costs vary by individual plans.

Candidate Selection

Ketamine therapy suits patients who’ve failed at least two antidepressant medications. Contemporary Care typically treats people who’ve tried multiple medications plus various augmentation strategies without sufficient relief. The practice also sees patients transitioning from electroconvulsive therapy or those seeking alternatives to ECT.

Certain medical conditions affect ketamine safety. Uncontrolled high blood pressure, recent heart attack or stroke, and active substance use problems require careful evaluation. Contemporary Care conducts thorough medical screening before beginning treatment, ensuring candidate appropriateness.

Psychiatric evaluation determines if depression severity and treatment history justify ketamine therapy. Clinicians assess suicide risk, previous treatment responses, and functional impairment. This information guides treatment planning and helps set realistic expectations.

Treatment Experience

Patients describe ketamine’s dissociative effects differently. Some find them relaxing and interesting, others experience initial anxiety that diminishes with subsequent treatments. Contemporary Care prepares patients thoroughly about what to expect, reducing distress from unexpected sensations.

Music during infusions improves the treatment experience and may improve outcomes. Research suggests that the altered consciousness produced by ketamine creates a window for psychological processing. Some patients find insights emerging during treatments that they later explore in therapy.

The clinic environment affects treatment experience. Contemporary Care provides comfortable, calming treatment spaces. Staff remain available throughout treatments, though patients typically want quiet time during infusions. Privacy allows people to process their experiences without distraction.

Response Patterns & Outcomes

About 60 to 70 percent of patients experience significant depression improvement with ketamine treatment. Response rates exceed those for trying additional traditional antidepressants after multiple failures. One-third to half of responders achieve full remission.

Response typically becomes apparent within the first few treatments. Early responders tend to have better long-term outcomes than those requiring full treatment courses before improvement appears. However, some people show delayed responses, making completing initial courses important even without early improvement.

Ketamine helps suicidal thinking rapidly, often within hours of first treatments. This effect occurs even before overall mood improvement becomes apparent. The rapid reduction in suicidal thoughts makes ketamine valuable for patients in crisis.

Maintenance Treatment Strategies

Maintaining ketamine benefits requires ongoing treatment for most patients. Contemporary Care develops individualized maintenance plans based on symptom patterns. Some people need frequent maintenance sessions, others less frequent treatments.

Extended intervals between maintenance treatments suit some patients. Stretching treatments to every six or eight weeks works for people with stable remissions. Others need more frequent sessions, perhaps every two to four weeks, to prevent symptom return.

Combining ketamine maintenance with optimized oral medications helps sustain benefits. Contemporary Care’s psychiatrists adjust antidepressant regimens based on ketamine response. Some patients reduce or discontinue medications that weren’t helping, while others add medications that complement ketamine effects.

Combining Ketamine with Psychotherapy

Research increasingly supports combining ketamine with psychotherapy. The neuroplastic changes from ketamine create opportunities for therapeutic work to produce more lasting effects. Contemporary Care encourages patients to continue or begin therapy alongside ketamine treatment.

Therapy sessions scheduled shortly after ketamine treatments capitalize on the improved neuroplasticity and insights that often emerge. Patients report feeling more open to examining difficult issues and more capable of emotional processing during this window.

Different therapy types complement ketamine treatment. Cognitive behavioral therapy helps patients develop new thought patterns while ketamine makes their brains more receptive to change. Psychodynamic therapy explores patterns and emotions that surface during ketamine experiences.

Safety Monitoring & Management

Contemporary Care follows strict safety protocols for ketamine treatment. Medical screening before treatment includes cardiovascular evaluation, as ketamine temporarily raises blood pressure and heart rate. Monitoring during treatments allows immediate response to any concerns.

Addiction possibility with medical ketamine use remains low when administered in supervised settings. The controlled environment, limited access, and monitoring prevent the compulsive use patterns seen with recreational ketamine abuse. Patients don’t have access to take-home doses, eliminating diversion risks.

Long-term safety data continues accumulating. Current evidence from thousands of patients treated over years shows no concerning patterns of organ damage or cognitive decline with medical ketamine use. Contemporary Care participates in ongoing safety monitoring through treatment registries.

Bladder problems seen with chronic recreational ketamine abuse don’t occur at doses and frequencies used medically. Contemporary Care monitors for urinary symptoms during treatment but rarely encounters these problems with therapeutic protocols.

Managing Side Effects

Side effects during ketamine treatment include dissociation, nausea, increased blood pressure, and occasionally anxiety or agitation. Most resolve quickly after treatment ends. Contemporary Care manages side effects through dose adjustments, medication timing changes, or adding medications to counter specific effects.

Nausea affects about 30 percent of patients. Taking anti-nausea medication before treatments prevents most problems. Avoiding food for several hours before infusions also reduces nausea risk. Most people tolerate treatments well without significant discomfort.

Dissociative effects, while a side effect, may contribute to treatment effectiveness. Patients who initially find dissociation uncomfortable usually adjust with subsequent treatments. Staff help patients reframe dissociation as part of the therapeutic process rather than something to fear.

Treatment Resistant Depression Success Stories

Contemporary Care has treated numerous patients who’d lost hope after years of failed treatments. Some had tried dozens of medications, ECT, and intensive therapy without meaningful improvement. Ketamine provided the breakthrough these patients desperately needed.

Success stories include professionals who’d taken disability leave returning to work, people who’d become housebound resuming normal activities, and those who’d isolated themselves reconnecting with family and friends. These improvements represent not just symptom reduction but genuine quality of life restoration.

Comparing Ketamine Delivery Methods

Both IV ketamine and esketamine have advantages. IV ketamine allows precise dose control and monitoring. The intravenous route produces more consistent absorption than intranasal administration. IV ketamine also costs less for uninsured patients, as esketamine pricing reflects patent protection.

Esketamine offers convenience advantages. Shorter session times and less intensive administration appeal to some patients. FDA approval means insurance covers esketamine more consistently than IV ketamine. The self-administration aspect gives patients more control over treatment.

Contemporary Care offers both options, discussing pros and cons with patients. Insurance coverage often drives decisions, but medical considerations and patient preferences also matter. Some patients try one method then switch based on response or side effects.

Integration with Other Treatments

Most patients continue their regular medications during ketamine treatment. Contemporary Care’s model coordinates ketamine therapy with ongoing medication management and psychotherapy. This integration ensures all treatments work together rather than in isolation.

For patients receiving transcranial magnetic stimulation, adding ketamine sometimes provides additional benefits. The two treatments work through different mechanisms, possibly producing synergistic effects. Contemporary Care has extensive experience combining these advanced therapies.

Some patients successfully taper off ineffective medications once ketamine produces stable improvement. Simplifying medication regimens reduces side effects and costs. However, stopping medications requires careful monitoring to ensure depression doesn’t worsen.

Access & Availability

Contemporary Care offers ketamine therapy across multiple locations in Connecticut, New York, and Florida. The practice continues expanding access to this treatment. Telehealth appointments for medication management and therapy complement in-person ketamine treatments, reducing travel requirements.

For patients living at distances from Contemporary Care locations, intensive ketamine treatment blocks allow completing initial series with less frequent trips. The practice accommodates out-of-town patients through flexible scheduling.

Insurance prior authorization requirements sometimes delay treatment starts. Contemporary Care’s staff work diligently to expedite authorizations for patients with severe depression requiring urgent intervention. The practice advocates with insurers when denials occur inappropriately.

Future Directions

Research continues expanding knowledge of optimal ketamine protocols. Studies examine different dosing strategies, maintenance approaches, and which patient characteristics predict response. Contemporary Care participates in this evolving knowledge base through outcome tracking.

Other medications working through glutamate systems are in development. These may offer ketamine-like benefits with different delivery methods or side effect profiles. Contemporary Care stays current with emerging treatments, implementing new options as evidence supports their use.

Contemporary Care’s expertise extends beyond just providing ketamine. The practice’s approach means ketamine integrates into broader treatment plans addressing all aspects of patients’ depression. This coordination produces better outcomes than ketamine alone.

Patient Resources & Education

Contemporary Care provides detailed education materials about ketamine therapy. Patients receive information about what to expect, how to prepare for treatments, and how to maximize benefits. Staff answer questions throughout the treatment process.

Support continues after completing initial treatment courses. Clinicians help patients develop plans for maintaining benefits and recognizing early warning signs of relapse. This ongoing relationship ensures patients can access additional treatment quickly if needed.

Patients interested in learning more about ketamine therapy at Contemporary Care can visit contemporarycare.com or call to schedule consultations. The practice sees patients with treatment-resistant depression across nine states through both in-person and telehealth services.

Website: https://contemporarycare.com/

Address: 84 Hospital Ave, Danbury, CT 06810

Contact: (610) 363-3090