Whether your post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is due to active military duty, exposure to gun violence, domestic abuse, or any other traumatic event, the long-lasting impact can be debilitating. Symptoms typically include intrusive thoughts, nightmares, an inability to concentrate, feelings of detachment, guilt, or shame.
At Wyckoff Wellness Center in Wyckoff, New Jersey, Board-certified psychiatrist Dr. Michael Gentile is committed to offering patients the latest in mental health treatments. When it comes to PTSD, that includes ketamine infusion therapy.
Ketamine infusion therapy often provides relief for PTSD patients for whom traditional anti-depressants have been ineffective.
Here’s what Dr. Gentile tells his patients throughout the tri-state area about this breakthrough treatment.
For years, a class of antidepressant drugs called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) has been the first-line treatment for PTSD. SSRIs typically take weeks to build up in your system and begin to help. But their help for PTSD patients is often underwhelming.
SSRIs are associated with an overall response rate of 60% in patients with PTSD, and only 20% to 30% of these patients achieve complete remission.
Ketamine is a Schedule III drug, regulated and approved by the US Drug Enforcement Association only for medical use.
Unlike the antidepressants that increase serotonin in your brain, ketamine subdues the level of glutamate, which is a stimulating neurotransmitter. The ketamine goes to work immediately, and most patients feel better within a few hours. You don’t need to take it daily — most patients take it only once a week for three weeks, then every other week for a few more.
Side effects are generally mild and may include dizziness, relaxation, and nausea. If you experience any of these, they occur immediately following your treatment — while you’re still under Dr. Gentile’s care — and they subside quickly. You must make arrangements with a friend or family member to give you a ride home after your treatment session.
Most patients feel like their PTSD has been calmed down significantly after undergoing ketamine therapy. In addition to addressing depression and anxiety, ketamine can also improve other PTSD symptoms like unwanted thoughts, fear, avoidance, and moodiness.
Because ketamine gives you a subtle distancing from your PTSD, it may allow you to participate in other treatments as well — such as exposure therapy, a type of cognitive behavioral therapy — helping you get the maximum benefit from every angle.
If you or a loved one has PTSD and other treatments haven’t brought relief, book a consultation with Dr. Gentile at the Wycoff Wellness Center. Call (201) 596-6216 or request an appointment online today.
