If you’ve been taking antidepressants, therapy, or both, and are still not getting help, you’re not alone and there are more options available to you. Ketamine therapy is not the same treatment you have undergone before and it is clinically supervised, all in Orlando.
Orlando Premier Psychiatry provides customized ketamine treatment for adults suffering from treatment-resistant depression, PTSD, anxiety and mood disorders. From your initial evaluation to continual monitoring and follow-up care, we don’t leave you to do it alone.
What is Ketamine Therapy?
Ketamine therapy is a medically supervised treatment where low and controlled amounts of ketamine are used to help alleviate symptoms of depression, anxiety, PTSD and other conditions almost immediately, especially for patients who have had no success with traditional medicines.
Ketamine does not act on either serotonin or dopamine. It takes place on a completely different pathway, the glutamate one and, at least in the short term (days or hours), it is more effective. The difference for years or months between people who are waiting to see an antidepressant and people who ultimately might choose an antidepressant that doesn’t help is huge.
Ketamine therapy isn’t a one-time shot. It’s a family of approaches (intravenous (IV) infusion, FDA-approved nasal spray (Spravato), and oral formulations), each tailored to the right patient, right diagnosis and right circumstances. After a comprehensive psychiatric screening by your provider, he or she will be able to determine which of the following is suitable for you.
The Rise of Ketamine as a Mental Health Drug
Safely administered in surgical facilities around the world for more than fifty years, Ketamine was FDA approved as an anesthetic in 1970. However, its psychiatric potential was not noticed until a pivotal 2000 study at Yale University showed its dramatic, rapid antidepressant effects in severe cases of depression that were apparent within hours and after a single low dose.
In the next two decades hundreds of clinical trials have followed, substantiating and extending these findings. In 2019 the FDA approved the first truly new class of antidepressant medication in more than 30 years: esketamine (Spravato), a nasal spray designed to treat treatment-resistant depression that is based on ketamine.
IV ketamine infusion therapy and Spravato are now provided in modern psychiatric practices nationwide. Ketamine is NOT an experimental drug. It has one of the most researched fast acting antidepressant profiles in modern psychiatry, with its usage steadily increasing and more patients and providers discovering its utility.
How Ketamine Became a Psychiatric Treatment and Why It’s Gaining Ground
Ketamine has been in use for over 50 years and the U.S. FDA has been approving its use for surgical settings around the world since 1970. Its application in psychiatry was just recently discovered by a pioneer study conducted at Yale University in 2000 that revealed dramatic and rapid antidepressant action hours in severely depressed patients and with only one low dosage.
Hundreds of clinical tests carried out in the following 20 years repeated and built upon these findings. The first dose of real progress in an entirely new class of antidepressant in more than 30 years was the FDA’s approval of esketamine, a drug derived from ketamine in the form of a nasal spray, in 2019 for the treatment of treatment-resistant depression.
IV Ketamine Infusion Therapy and Spravato are now available at certain psychiatric clinics throughout the nation. Ketamine is NOT an ‘experimental’ drug. It is one of the most investigated rapid-acting profiles of an antidepressant drug in modern psychiatry and more and more patients and providers are realizing its potential.
Is Ketamine Therapy Right for You? A Quick Self-Assessment
This checklist is not literally an analysis method but could support you decide whether or not ketamine treatment is certainly a worthwhile choice.
If you can answer “yes” to three or more of the following, then consider you may be a candidate:
☐ I have been informed that I have a mood disorder, PTSD, anxiety and/or depression.
☐ Tried 2 or more doses of 2 or more antidepressant drugs and didn’t see any changes
☐ I continued having my symptoms for 6 months or more despite taking treatments
☐ I have had therapy (CBT / EMDR / other) but I didn’t really get better.
☐ My symptoms have caused me to have serious problems with my work, relationships or functioning daily.
☐ Thoughts of suicide have occurred and I would like more immediate action
☐ I would like a therapy that I could use in combination with the therapy I am currently taking
If several of those signs and symptoms are saying you then it’s sensible that you make an appointment with our staff to attend a consultation. It’s not a requirement but a discussion on what you have tried and what did not work and if Ketamine therapy is right for you.
Conditions We Treat with Ketamine Therapy at Orlando Premier Psychiatry
At Orlando Premier Psychiatry, some of the conditions patients receive Ketamine therapy treatment for include:
Ketamine therapy can’t help every person and not every condition is appropriate for Ketamine therapy. The following are some of the conditions treated by our team at our Orlando therapy clinic with ketamine treatments regularly.
Treatment-Resistant Depression: When, despite successful antidepressant drug use, a person is unresponsive to two or more well-conducted trials of antidepressant drugs. Ketamine is the most robustly supported clinically for this population. For those patients who have used more than one antidepressant over the years, a clinically significant benefit occurs days after the first infusion.
Major Depressive Disorder (MDD): It may also be beneficial for Ketamine treatment to be used as a bridge or adjunct treatment to psychiatric treatment for some patients with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) during the acute depressive episode or while the patient is actively suicidal; however, this needs to be further elucidated, and not every MDD patient may be pertinent for Ketamine treatment.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): The glutamate receptors may lend a hand to Ketamine’s effect on breaking nicotine-amino thought patterns, as well as the fear response system that is hyperactive in those with PTSD. It is increasingly used as a complement to trauma-based therapy in an effort to help reinforce the therapy.
Severe Anxiety Disorders: Although it is the least-studied of ketamine’s applications, a study reveals that Ketamine is valuable for severe Anxiety Disorders in those patients who don’t respond to the use of an SSRI or SNRI.
Bipolar Depression: During a depression period of bipolar disorder however, Ketamine treatment might be helpful if treated under a careful psychiatric supervision for patients with bipolar depression. The assessment and treatment they require is different than will be used for bipolar depression.
Persistent Mood Disorders: A mood disorder, Dysthymia and its variants, are also treated using Ketamine therapy where conventional treatments do not yield satisfactory results.
All matters are dealt with on an individual basis. A complete psychiatric evaluation is performed prior to treatment.
Ketamine Therapy for Depression, PTSD and Anxiety Depends on the Condition, Severity, and the Desired Results.
The same amount of Ketamine isn’t used for all the diagnoses. Knowing the usage in various environments helps you to have more knowledge before discussing it with your provider.
Depression: The aim is to quickly improve the client’s mood and break the depression cycle. Usually, the treatment will start with several weeks of infusions. This ketamine window of neuroplasticity is the ideal time for the brain to create new connections and to make them permanent, it is best backed up by psychotherapy.
For PTSD: In addition to mood-raising properties, Ketamine may assist to diminish the psychological effects of distressing experiences, making it easier to handle in treatment.
Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy is sometimes used at the end of the ketamine sessions and throughout and involves incorporating EMDR or Trauma-Specific CBT therapy within the protocols.
Anxiety: Ketamine affects glutamate modulation, which could help to “calm” hyperactive threat detection mechanisms related to anxiety disorders. For patients who are being treated for anxiety some more initial sessions of therapy may be recommended as well as more frequent monitoring afterwards.
If treating Bipolar Depression: Ketamine should not be started in a bipolar patient without first covering the mood stabilizers to keep a hyper or hypomanic episode from occurring. Dosing and frequency of sessions are tweaked accordingly.
Your Orlando Premier Psychiatry provider will create a plan unique to your diagnosis, history and goals, instead of a generic plan.
Ketamine Therapy vs. Traditional Antidepressants — How They Compare
Ketamine Therapy | Traditional Antidepressants (SSRIs/SNRIs) | |
How it works | Blocks NMDA receptors; triggers glutamate surge and synaptogenesis | Adjusts serotonin/norepinephrine reuptake |
Onset of action | Hours to days | 2–6 weeks |
Who it’s best for | Treatment-resistant cases; acute suicidal ideation; those needing rapid relief | First-line treatment; mild to moderate depression |
Administration | Clinic-based sessions (IV, nasal spray) or oral at home | Daily oral medication |
If it doesn’t work | Protocol adjusted; alternative delivery method considered | Switch to different SSRI/SNRI or augment |
Effect on brain structure | Promotes new synaptic connections | Minimal structural effect |
FDA status | IV: off-label for depression; Spravato: FDA-approved for TRD | FDA-approved for depression |
Insurance coverage | Limited (Spravato has better coverage); HSA/FSA applicable | Typically covered |
Long-term use | Maintenance sessions as needed | Daily ongoing use |
Ketamine is not a replacement for antidepressants in all cases. Many patients use both, ketamine to break the depressive cycle rapidly and ongoing medication or therapy to sustain gains. Your provider will help determine the right combination for you.
Treatment Options We Offer at Orlando Premier Psychiatry
IV Ketamine Infusion – Our Primary Treatment Method. Intravenous infusion allows for the greatest bioavailability at 100% and the most precise and adjustable ketamine dose when compared to other delivery methods. IV infusion has the most clinical research conducted and the longest history of use for treatment-resistant depression.
The introduction of Spravato Nasal Spray involves FDA-approved Esketamine a nasal-spray treatment for treatment-resistant depression and for depression with acute suicidal ideation. Is administered in our office under observation and is at least partly covered by many insurance plans. Bioavailability is approximately 48% (compared to IV, this is much higher than in comparison to oral preparations).
Oral Ketamine: Oral formulations (troches & slow-dissolving lozenges) may sometimes be administered in between series of infusion administrations or for less acute administration. Less predictable dosing and lower bioavailability of ~20% make oral ketamine less ideal in the setting of acute or severe presentations. Requires the prescription of a competent party and service under strict safety guidelines.
Your provider will determine which is best for you depending on your condition, severity of your symptoms, previously used treatments, and insurance coverage.
What Happens After Ketamine Therapy Ends?
I believe this is an inquiry that is seldom addressed on ketamine provider sites and it is important.
In the days following a ketamine infusion, the brain is ineluctably in a ‘neuroplastic phase’, or theory window period more open than ever for creating patterns and connections. Those patients who participate in psychotherapy sessions or journaling or directed reflection during this period of time show better results and maintain that improvement over a sustained time period when compared to those who don’t participate. Your provider can suggest an integration therapist or prescribe exercises so that you can use this window intentionally.
Relapse Prevention: Ketamine helps to break the depressive spiral, while the predispositions that led to the treatment-resistant depression will not go away. Working with your provider, a thoughtful Relapse Prevention Plan includes details about what triggers to avoid, life changes to consider and what signs you should watch for to set up a maintenance infusion when it’s necessary.
Maintenance Infusions: Many patients find that they benefit from a maintenance session every 4-8 weeks, as opposed to a full relapse occurring. Your provider will help you determine the ideal frequency for you with regard to how you react.
Ongoing Psychiatric Care: Ketamine therapy is not a stand-alone treatment, but is used in conjunction with an ongoing psychiatric care plan. Ensuring medication management, therapy referrals and regular psychiatric follow-up, your ketamine treatment will be coordinated by Orlando Premier Psychiatry.
Does Insurance Cover Ketamine Therapy in Florida?
Coverage varies depending on the type of ketamine training as well as the insurance plan.
At this time, IV Ketamine Infusion is not a covered service under most health insurance plans and is not deemed to be “on-label” for psychiatric treatment. But, many of its patients offset the expenses with HSA or FSA funds. Some plans provide some out-of-network benefits that can be used to defray the cost. (Our billing team can help you look into this option.
Spravato (Esketamine) is already FDA approved for the treatment of treatment-resistant depression, and, when taken in a certified clinical setting, many big insurance providers cover the cost of this drug, at least in part. It’s a requirement that coverage isn’t granted unless there’s prior authorization and documentation of prior failures for treatment. We take care of the authorization process for you.
Typically, regardless of treatment involved, IPC (Initial Psychiatric Consultation) may be included in normal mental health benefits.
Please be aware that you may need out-of-pocket payment at your appointment, so contact our office beforehand and our billing staff will be able to give you details of your coverage, outline any costs or alternative payment methods so that you do not have any unexpected charges.
Orlando Premier Psychiatry’s devotion to a holistic approach, highly regarded credentials, personalized therapy and supportive, caring care may be why patients are drawn to the practice for Ketamine treatment.
Why Patients Choose Orlando Premier Psychiatry for Ketamine Therapy
Lots of ketamine providers are in Florida. The special things about Orlando Premier Psychiatry are the following:
Psychiatrist-Led Care: Your treatment is provided under the care of a licensed psychiatrist, not a nurse practitioner or care coordinator working without a physician. When screening for eligibility, dosing, medication interactions and determining when the protocol should be adjusted, psychiatric expertise is important.
Integrated Treatment Planning: Your infusion series takes place in the context of your overall psychiatric treatment plan, which can help involve managing your medication, integration with your therapy or counseling and aftercare support. This integration is the key factor that one can provide durable outcomes.
No Referral? No Problem!: You’ll be in able to give us a call to request a meeting. The evaluation process is our own and we will liaise with any existing providers if necessary.
Comprehensive Screening: Contraindications are taken seriously. Not all patients are a “good fit” for ketamine therapy and if we feel that it won’t be the right treatment, we will make this very clear.
Continual Monitoring: We know how you’re doing in each individual session with standardized psychiatric measures and not subjective impressions. No assumptions; your protocol is based upon data.
Central Orlando Location: 121 S Orange Ave, Orlando, FL is our clinic located from downtown, Alafaya, Pine Hills, Kissimmee, Winter Garden, Oviedo, Sanford and surrounding areas including psychiatry Alafaya, psychiatry Pine Hills, psychiatry Kissimmee, psychiatry Sanford, and psychiatry Winter Garden.
Looking forward to seeing if Ketamine Therapy could be the Answer? Schedule a Consultation in Orlando.
A referral is not required! You don’t need to try all else prior to trying this. All one has to be ready to perform is to have a dialogue.
Confidentiality, judgment-free interaction, and understanding solely what is happening and what can be done is offered at Orlando Premier Psychiatry. When it comes to Ketamine therapy, we’ll let you know if this is the best option for you and what it will look like. Otherwise, we will let you know.
Contact us today to schedule an appointment that will make a positive difference for you and your family! (407) 565-3546 or book online.
100% Confidential · No Referral Required · Consultations in as little as one week.
Frequently Asked Questions About Ketamine Therapy
Is ketamine therapy legal?
Yes. Ketamine is an FDA-approved medication. Its use in psychiatric treatment is legal and widely practiced across the United States. Spravato is specifically FDA-approved for treatment-resistant depression. IV ketamine is prescribed off-label for psychiatric indications, which is a common and legally sound medical practice.
Will ketamine therapy make me feel “high”?
During an infusion, patients often experience mild perceptual changes a sense of detachment, visual imagery, or deep relaxation. These effects are temporary, are part of the therapeutic mechanism, and are fully supervised by clinical staff. The sensation typically passes within an hour of the infusion ending.
Can I continue my current medications while doing ketamine therapy?
In most cases, yes. However, certain medications, including some benzodiazepines, MAOIs, and lamotrigine, may interact with ketamine or reduce its effectiveness. Your provider will conduct a full medication review before any treatment begins and will advise on any adjustments needed.
How soon will I feel a difference?
Many patients notice mood changes within 24 to 48 hours of their first infusion. More pronounced and sustained improvement typically emerges after the third or fourth session. Results vary by individual and diagnosis.
How is ketamine therapy different from recreational ketamine use?
The doses used in psychiatric treatment are a fraction of recreational doses, administered in a controlled clinical environment with continuous monitoring. The context, intention, dosing precision, and medical supervision are entirely different from recreational use.
What if ketamine therapy doesn’t work for me?
If you don’t respond to an initial series, your provider will review your protocol, consider alternative delivery methods, adjust dosing, or recommend adjunct treatments. Not every patient responds to ketamine therapy, and we’ll be transparent with you about that throughout the process.
Page references:
- FDA ketamine approval records;
- Yale University 2000 ketamine study (Berman et al.);
- NIMH depression research;
- APA treatment guidelines;
- Efficacy of ketamine therapy in the treatment of depression (PMC6767816);
- The Effect of a Single Dose of Intravenous Ketamine on Suicidal Ideation (PMID 28969441).
