Ketamine Treatment for Neuropathic Pain: What to Expect

Neuropathy is a painful nerve condition that affects millions of people, and it can sometimes be difficult to treat with medication. In recent years, though, ketamine infusion therapy has emerged as a solution for people with chronic, hard-to-treat nerve-related pain. 

Traditionally used as an anesthetic, researchers have discovered that ketamine infusion is helpful in bringing relief to those with difficult-to-treat disorders, including depression and bipolar disorder. They’ve also learned that ketamine can be very helpful in managing many types of chronic pain, including neuropathic pain.

Peter McAllister, MD, FAAN, is an experienced provider of ketamine infusion therapy for patients who are suffering with neuropathy, offering fast, meaningful relief from painful symptoms. If you have neuropathy, here’s how ketamine treatment at Ki_Ketamine can help and what to expect during your therapy.

Neuropathic pain: The basics

Neuropathy refers to conditions affecting your nerves. Many underlying issues can cause or contribute to neuropathy, including spinal disease, diabetes, prior injuries or surgeries, infections, and autoimmune conditions like multiple sclerosis. Some medications can lead to neuropathy, too.

Neuropathy symptoms can vary significantly from one person to another and typically involve issues like:

• Shooting bursts of pain
• Chronic aching
• Numbness
• Burning sensations

The location of symptoms depends on which nerves are affected. 

Although some people respond well to traditional therapies, such as medication or physical therapy, neuropathy symptoms can be stubborn, leaving many people with lingering pain. 

Ketamine uses different pathways to address neuropathy symptoms, targeting nerve receptors that play key roles in the body’s transmission and brain’s interpretation of pain. By interacting with these receptors, ketamine reduces pain symptoms and supports healthy nerve transmission.

Ketamine treatment: What to expect

Our team administers ketamine via an IV placed in your arm. Throughout your therapy, a medical professional monitors you, allowing for greater relaxation and peace of mind. Our therapy dog can help keep you relaxed, too.

As the ketamine takes effect, you can expect to feel deeply relaxed. You may feel a sense of euphoria or a decoupling from your emotions — a temporary effect called dissociation. Some patients report a sensation of warmth during their infusion session.

Like other medications, ketamine is prescribed and administered using precise dosing based specifically on you and your needs. Most patients feel an immediate reduction in their pain, with results lasting for weeks or months. You can repeat treatments on an as-needed basis to maintain those results and improve your overall quality of life.

Generally, infusion sessions take about 40 minutes. Because ketamine can make you drowsy, you should have someone available to drive you home afterward.

Find relief for your neuropathic pain

Without proper treatment, neuropathy typically worsens over time, leading to both physical and emotional issues, like mobility problems and depression. 

To learn how ketamine treatment can help you manage your neuropathic pain, request an appointment online or over the phone today with Dr. McAllister and the team at Ki_Ketamine in Stamford and Westport, Connecticut.