Ketamine for Pain User Reviews

• Eis...
• February 2, 2018

"I started getting Ketamine infusions for depression 12 months ago. Since then, with surprisingly little effort, I have gone from drinking almost every day to never drinking, from exercising never to exercising twice a day. I had been rarely brushing to brushing, flossing, waterpicking, and mouthwash twice a day. I've started investing, almost doubled my salary, started walking the dog every day, went from a slob to a clean house, I am now eating healthy every day, have lost 20 lbs, and am happier than I've been in 20 years. I get an infusion about once every 75 days."

• Mor...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• July 15, 2019

"I was treated at a ketamine clinic in Feb 2018 for CRPS (chronic regional pain syndrome) with 3-4 hour relatively high dose infusions while monitored every minute. My depression abated after treatment 1. The treatments were 48 hours apart and I felt good going into treatment 2 with only mild anxiety. After sleeping off the treatment for about 18 hours, I was nearly pain-free. After the third infusion, I was pain-free. That remained the case for 4 months when I went for a four-hour booster. Pain-free for several months. Then another booster, and again I was okay. I’ve not been able to afford to go back, and the pain and depression resulting from it have completely trashed my life. It is morally reprehensible that the FDA doesn’t make this treatment easier to obtain with more support to doctors so market factors would lower the prices. Thank you for listening."

• Mom...
• February 8, 2018

"My daughter took ketamine for depression. She received her first infusion on a Sunday. She had hallucinations of killing herself, stomping herself to death, and other things she wouldn't talk about. She had her second infusion three days later, with the same results. Thursday she took her own life."

• Mat...
• August 6, 2021

"Six years ago I dropped into a deep well of depression and chronic pain that I could not pull out of. I tried everything, almost every SSRI there is, mindfulness training, meditation, naturopathic medicine, yoga, massive diet changes, transcranial magnetic stimulation, exercise, and many more things. I spent a week at the Mayo Clinic. Nothing worked. The pain got worse, the depression got worse. I was in a desperate state and hopeless. Six months ago I tried ketamine infusions. The relief was nothing short of profound. It has sustained. It gave me my life back. It was like magic. I never write on blogs, but I felt like it was my duty to weigh in with my experience. My duty because there are so many people who are needlessly suffering from the debilitating effects of TRD (treatment-resistant depression) and/or chronic fatigue syndrome. There is hope for you. If you are desperate, give it a try. The odds are relief awaits you on the other side."

• Cam...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 13, 2021

"Do plenty of research. My son, 21, moved to Seattle hoping the change would help his severe depression and anxiety. He decided he wanted to try ketamine. I was against it. He was living in Seattle with his father. He ended up going through with the infusion treatments. He finished his last treatment on a Friday and took his life the following Sunday. My therapist and I both believe that the ketamine gave my son the energy and courage to take his life. And I also think the clinic that he went to did not monitor him as closely as they should have. I spoke to the clinic and found out that they didn’t check in on my son after his final infusion. If you decide to try ketamine, please make sure you are closely monitored. My son had such high hopes and was gone right after his last infusion. These clinics administering ketamine should have mental health professionals to keep up with the patients during, in between, and after the final infusion. I don’t believe this was done."

• SHM...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 29, 2020

"My personal experience with ketamine after a urethra procedure was absolutely life-changing. Not only was my pain under control, but it had underlying side effects I did not expect. The experience alone put me in a state of pure bliss. Honestly, I don't know how else to explain it. I wholeheartedly believe this drug could and should be utilized for a whole array of uses. I suffer from a lot of mental and physical conditions. With one happenstance of receiving this drug, my conditions had been lessened to completely gone. If it was used and available for therapeutic purposes, this drug could completely change so many people's lives. I honestly get enraged that really the only reason Ketamine and other medications that are considered 'Taboo' are not being utilized as much as they should because of the pharmaceutical companies and governmental agencies not wanting 100% of PEOPLE to get better, be happy, have access to living good, comfortable, bearable, productive lives."

• Chr...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 1, 2019

"Have had (8) spinal surgeries since 2009, so live with a great deal of pain. Years of pain meds were affecting my liver function and not providing much relief. Found a pain doctor who uses ketamine infusion therapy. Had some crazy experiences in the beginning doing ketamine IV infusions, but worked my way through the dreams and hallucinations as I knew that I must get off the meds affecting my liver and I needed better pain control. I’ve been receiving ketamine IV infusion therapy 4 days a month for the last 3 years as well taking oral ketamine daily and it has made a world of difference in my life! I can do things now that I would never have been able to do before. I’m off 6 other meds and my liver is doing much better now! Ketamine has been a great way to help with my chronic pain condition. My insurance covers the Ketamine IV infusion therapy, but I do have to pay for my oral Ketamine out of pocket. I had a bumpy start but stuck with it and am so glad I did!"

• Jon...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 6, 2016

"I actually take it for chronic depression. I was amazed at the improvement it made in my mood and general outlook on life. I feel as though I have been given a second chance at life. One side effect that I noticed is that it improved my faith in a higher being (God) or whoever you wish to call him/her. Surprisingly not uncommon for this medication."

• Pol...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 14, 2018

"I have used this for depression and chronic pain. I’ve had the IV, and the dose was small. Anyway, the relief from the pain is fairly immediate, and it’s such a relief to have no pain for 45 minutes. Amazing! For the depression, it’s really interesting. It doesn’t seem to take it away, but it makes me feel better enough that my life is better and I feel generally cheerful and content, and I don’t have to fake it like I normally do. That’s also a huge relief. I’ve not had any bad side effects so far. That’s probably because it’s very carefully supervised. I highly recommend trying it."

• Loo...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 25, 2019

"I have severe fibro, CRPS (chronic regional pain syndrome), depression & anxiety that has gotten so bad over the years. I can barely walk or move without extreme pain (even touching my skin hurts!) When you're finally offered something that might help you when nothing else has, you jump at it! Taking lozenges right now & want to do IV treatment. Not been on long but so far no real side effects. Not everything works for everybody, if you take everything away just because some people had issues with it... Well then there would be no medicine at all! Don't try to slam on or get rid of the one & only hope some people have!"

• Hvw...
• August 30, 2016

"I have a rare neurological disease that causes an extreme amount of pain every day of my life. My doctors have tried their very best to get my pain level to a tolerable point without much luck. I started going to a pain clinic where I was introduced to ketamine infusions by IV. At first, we did a weekly session with 45-minute infusions that changed my life. I still was struggling with significant pain daily, so the doctor decided to start doing 4-hour-long infusions once a week. I can't remember in the last decade when I was able to achieve a pain level less than a 5 on the pain scale. Plus, it has helped with depression and PTSD among other positive effects. Yes, it makes you feel pretty out of it, but I can start living life again."

• Qaz...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 2, 2021

"Ketamine saved my life, relationship, and career. Autonomic neurological dysfunction left me in pain and not able to function as I once had. Depression and anxiety intensified trying to find a diagnosis. After 6 infusions, my mood has lifted, and I don’t dwell on pain. I cannot imagine why this isn’t a standard protocol for depression, anxiety, and pain."

• Cas...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 27, 2020

"I went for a ketamine infusion for pain from fibromyalgia. It lasted for eight hours. My blood pressure became elevated, and they gave me medication a couple of times to lower it. During the time of the infusion, I heard a nurse say, 'she had an arrhythmia.' Being a retired nurse, I knew that was not good. So, I told them to stop the infusion, and I went home. The next day, I became very tachycardic and went to the emergency hospital. They were able to get my heart rate lower. It was going at 150 beats a minute. I was in atrial fib and was admitted into the hospital. I am now on a blood thinner because of it. People who are hypertensive and have cardiac problems should never have a ketamine infusion. I am very angry now that I have to be on blood thinners for the rest of my life."

• LHS...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 6, 2019

"I have CRPS and Tarlov Cyst, AA, EDS, hospital gave me a ketamine push, a huge dosage not infused, and I went into a K-hole of hell! Tried the infusions a couple of years later after I finally got over that horror. The infusions are just too mind-blowing and frightening, being a spirit hanging upside down in a black cocoon of pure black with cardboard for a body that isn’t there. It’s such a powerful drug I cannot see this being healthy in the long run. I don’t need my brain fried on top of my pain."

• Cam...
• May 17, 2020

"Ketamine has been a game changer for me. I take the pill powder form, and it has helped with my nerve pain greatly. It was a long process getting to the right dose. You have to go slow to see how you tolerate it, but when you get there, it's amazing. It has also made my whole life better; it's made me happier and helped my depression as well. A very happy surprise. It has worked better than any medicine that I have tried so far from my psychiatrist. All this being said, I really don't think it is for everyone; it is trial and error, and it's if your body and if your mind can take it. But if it can, it is an amazing drug. There is no withdrawal. You can skip days without jonesing for it like all the different opioids out there. I had some major surgeries and was on opioids and needed them for the pain but hated being on them, and then one of the surgeons messed up, and now I have severe nerve pain, likely for the rest of my life, and opioids worked, but I did not want to take them."

• Rsd...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• November 11, 2015

"I've been having infusions at least every month and I must say, this has given me the best results. I am 90% pain-free while under treatments and could not ask for better results. Granted, if it does start to wear off, those effects are not good, but I will gladly take the treatment and continue to have my life back."

• pop...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 30, 2020

"After a 5 1/2 hour spine surgery, I woke up in the post-op recovery room, on ketamine for pain control. It was ineffective. I was having terrifying hallucinations and started pleading for something that would work. Just when the confusion, dizziness, and hallucinations would begin to subside, they would come up and 'refresh' my IV line with more, perpetuating the side effects. Among the several bizarre hallucinations I recall is looking down at the floor from my bed, which was stuck on the ceiling. It felt like I was defying gravity, and the potential for my bed to come crashing to the floor with me underneath it was very real! It was undoubtedly the most unpleasant and terrifying hospital stay I've ever had!"

• CRP...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 20, 2016

"I have taken oral ketamine for 17 days. For me, it is a miracle drug for neuropathic pain. I started at 10 mg daily with 2.5 mg caps compounded by the pharmacy. Side effects are wet mouth or excessive salivation, dizziness that my body adjusted to quickly, a feeling of having had two beers or a slight intoxication, and mild anxiety. The reward of a 3-point drop in my neuropathic pain level is worth it. I feel my old arthritic pain again, much stronger. An 8, as the CRPS-specific pain is a 4-5! Oral ketamine metabolizes into norketamine and hydro norketamine, which are 5 times stronger than ketamine. The IV dosing at high levels does not get this first-pass metabolism, and the levels are higher mg than 15 mg. I am going to 20 mg after okay from my doctor. I recommend it for patients with severe nerve pain."

• Fas...
• April 16, 2016

"I was given this after surgery for pain, as I can't have morphine, and they tried 5 other drugs to sort me out before this. Omg, I went on a wild trip, I went through dimensions of color and walls. I couldn't get back into my body, I thought I had died. Scary, scary stuff. When I came out of the trip, I was dizzy and seeing double. My pain was gone, but I didn't enjoy the experience at all."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 3, 2017

"Self-administration of intramuscular injection three times weekly for major depression. Improvement to major depression has resulted in obvious improvements after 5+ years of unsuccessful treatments by multiple medical professionals. Undesirable requirement is giving a self-injection!"

• lup...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 1, 2017

"I had the 6 IV infusions done for pain and depression. It made me so much worse. My head stays foggy now, and I feel lightheaded. It increased my anxiety and made my insomnia worse. I had an ANA test and found out I was positive for lupus. I think the extra stress from the ketamine may have triggered the lupus. I wish I had never done it. It was a huge waste of 3k, and I feel so much worse. It has been 5 months since I had the treatment. I told them I wanted to stop after the third infusion, but they refused to give me a refund for the last 3 treatments that I was made to pay for up front. I was told prior to treatment that I could stop after the third treatment if I was not feeling better. But after they got the money, they refused."

• aih...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 14, 2021

"I have neuropathy in my feet. At times, it's so painful I could barely walk. It felt like I was walking on glass shards other times, sharp rocks. I have tried everything from gabapentin to Lyrica. While Lyrica works wonders, I had side effects. My doctor suggested the ketamine cream. It works wonders. My feet went from a pain of an 8.5 down to a 3. While I do still have pain if I walk too much, my daily life has improved significantly. It's given me my life back."

• RFM...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 10, 2019

"I started using Esketamine about a month ago (for MDD, OCD, pain) and take it via nasal shots. I'm up to 84 mg, or three doses in each nostril spaced 5 minutes apart. My initial experience with it was a bit crazy, but after the 2nd visit, things started to smooth out a little. My most recent treatment of 84 mg was very intense. I had a mind trip while on Facebook, though it didn't last long. The spatial distortions and disassociation are noticeable. After it starts wearing off is when you feel really good. I also do transmagnetic stimulation with the ketamine, and the combo seems to work well, although it's expensive. I'll probably stick with the TMS."

• Rin...
• June 5, 2018

"I was hospitalized after a burn injury and had a skin graft operation. When my bandages were changed, I had severe pain, and I was extremely nervous, so they gave me ketamine. It helped. I was wondering why they did not give it to me when they did my first bandage change. It was the most painful experience I had ever had, and they gave me no medication."

• Ket...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 22, 2019

"I had my 1st ketamine infusion yesterday. It definitely is an experience, no doubt about that. I have been in severe pain for 4 years. CRPS, pain every second of the day. I had a few hours of not quite pain-free... but definitely tolerable. I will be doing it again. They suggest 4 to 5 to really notice a difference."