What to Expect at Your First Ketamine Treatment with Aurora Mental Health & Wellness

You may have heard that St. Cloud area residents now have access to ketamine infusion therapy at Aurora Mental Health & Wellness in Waite Park. It's for those with treatment-resistant depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, postpartum depression, and bipolar disorder.

One of the most common questions prospective patients have is: What will my first infusion be like?

Let's set the scene a little bit first: Aurora Mental Health & Wellness typically collaborates with your other doctor(s) so you continue taking your current medications unless specifically directed otherwise. You'll be asked to bring a support person who will drive you home afterward; your support person can sit with you in the treatment room or in a comfortable waiting area. Throughout the infusion, your vital signs will be monitored through a pulse oximeter and a blood pressure cuff.

Patients describe the dissociative feeling experienced during the infusion in a few different ways, according to Verywell Mind and WebMD:

• Euphoric
• As if you are not quite in your body
• Visual and other sensory distortions
• Temporary unusual thoughts and beliefs

Many patients feel immediate relief from their mental health symptoms, while others see a more gradual improvement.

Most mental health patients start with an initial series of six infusions within a period of 2 to 3 weeks. After those "loading doses," maintenance infusions are given as needed based on the underlying condition and when the patient feels the effects waning.

The experts at Aurora Mental Health & Wellness are committed to providing these important treatments in a comfortable, almost spa-like setting. To learn more about ketamine infusion therapy and schedule a consultation, visit auroramhw.com or call 320-390-7338.