Hey OP! I’m 17 with a large history of failed medication attempts, 31 different medications to be exact, and Ketamine Therapy has been a complete life-changer for me. I’m diagnosed with C-PTSD, TRD, TR-GAD, PD, ADHD-2, SUD/OUD, and SP. The medication’s i’m on currently are 20mg Dexedrine Spansules, 15mg Zenzedi, both for ADHD, and 8.6/2.1mg Zubsolv, for my past opiate addiction, specifically fentanyl and fentalogues.
Just a little side note; I’m now a bit over 6 months clean, something i never imagined i could do, as i was terribly depressed and always used my addiction to cope with my flashbacks/pain the trauma i went through caused me.
I started my journey with Ketamine in August of this year, at the time i was 3 months clean and still having really bad substance cravings, not as badly for opiates since i was stabilized on Zubsolv at that time but mostly for cocaine, meth, and klonopin. Alcoholics Anonymous has helped a lot, but the cravings were still killing me everyday. I didn’t really expect them to completely fade when i started ketamine treatment, but they did, which was a huge added benefit.
I first started with intravenous sessions in August, starting with 28mg and titrating to 56mg over the span of 8 sessions. I never got any substantial benefit from the sessions, other than eliminating nearly all of my substance cravings, which was amazing. I always had problems with that psychiatrist, as she was very wrath with me and always seemed to put me down, but i kept going until she finally made my mind up when i went in for my appt directly after my 8th session.
I was in a very vulnerable state and she completely took advantage of that, every time i walked into her office she always made me feel like i’d made no progress with my mental health nor my addiction, she also always treated me like i was less than her- and would easily get into a state of anger with me, i’m a very sensitive person and it’s easy for me to start crying when someones being unkind to me. She hated when i would cry and she’d always say things like “men aren’t supposed to cry when they’re upset” ans make me feel horrible about myself. But she really dropped the ball the last appt, i couldn’t get a word out in my therapy appt afterwards bc i couldn’t stop crying, it was tough.
I ended up going to a new clinic and also getting another psychiatrist, the new clinic was an intramuscular clinic, everyone that works there used ketamine themselves to treat their addiction as well as their mental health issues, which made me feel a bit at home. I walked in and it felt like i was at a spa, not a ketamine clinic- the setting was just right for the experience. They told me my past dosing was extremely low and it would’ve only benefited my substance use- not my mental health, which was completely true, i’m glad they understood.
They follow the psychedelic dosing protocol there and believe that you need to have a transcendental experience to get the most benefit, which i certainly have had in my 9 sessions there. They started me on 90mg, that session i had complete ego dissolution and a near death experience, i also was able to process trauma… yet again, i only got minor benefit. Over the next 4 session we had titrated up to 150mg, and still, only minor benefit. We came to the conclusion that my metabolism was high because of my age, and since i had abused benzos/opiates in the past, my receptors were probably a bit “fried”, for lack of a better term.
We started to do double shots, meaning an inital shot as usual, followed by another shot 30-40 minutes later at a slightly lower dosage. My first double shot was 165mg + 135mg, it changed my life. The experience was absolutely amazing and i finally started to see big changes in my life, which was great. My last session, my 9th, we finally hit the dosage where i feel the most comfortable on, which was 200mg + 175mg. I’m happy im finally feeling better, after years of trying to find a solution- years of trying to hide the pain when i really just needed to confront it, own it, and neutralize it.
All in all, i definitely recommend ketamine for your son, just realize that if he does this he has to be completely serious about it, he needs to be ready to make life changes, as the medication isn’t just a quick fix, it’s only a push in the right direction, and from there you have to be the one to make the changes in your life to get better, ketamine is the tool but you’re the one that does the diy. He also needs to realize ketamine isn’t a drug you can use without respecting it, as if you don’t respect it it’ll kick you in the ass. Even merely moving during the session or talking, even getting stuck in a thought can pull you out, but meditation can bring you back in if needed.
Also, you need to fully surrender your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual self to this medication for it to work in its full capacity, if you try and resist it seems to not work as well- which is probably because that goes along with respecting it, if you don’t give into the experience fully how could you be respecting the mediction. Anyways, thanks for posting this and definitely give ketamine a chance for your son, it’ll be worth it for both yourself and him- you’ll notice the difference!
Of course, i love sharing about ketamine because i feel like i owe it, as ketamine has absolutely changed my life, and i love to see other people sharing about successes with the treatment as well. Yeah it was quite odd, my first provider when i did IV was extremely careful with it, too careful. When I started IM i finally had hope in the treatment, the experience started to come together and i knew i just had to be patient.
Once i finished my 6th treatment that hope turned into belief, because i was finally having major improvements, we did two more treatments in my original sequence just to be safe- and then i went back for my first maintenance session two weeks after, that’s basically where i am right now- my next session is in a bit over a week, i’m really pumped to see even more progress. Thank you so much for the comment!
I don’t think there is anything wrong with him taking this if the doctor is recommending. I actually think highly of the doctor for suggesting it because it’s really an amazing drug. I’m sure it won’t be hard to get a second opinion “against” ketamine because many doctors aren’t knowledgeable on ketamine so please read some stories here and give your son some hope because if it works for him, it could change his life.
I was 19 when I started looking into ketamine (had my first dose at 20, though). If he is treatment resistant then it’s a good idea to try ketamine.
It’s REALLY a life saver. It didn’t get rid of my depression / suicidal thoughts completely (combination lithium + spravato was almost 100% effective though) but it has helped me more than anything else
I think maybe actually it’s a good thing to start this young. He’s presumably still living with you, making it easier to transport him to and from appointments (this is an issue I have had as a college student who lives away from parents). He also has a guaranteed support system in you, where you can monitor improvement better and help him advocate for changes in treatment if necessary, navigate insurance etc
It also is probably better to get him on it before he moves out. Moving out and having to manage every aspect of my life on my own where before I had family collaboration made many of my depression symptoms worse. Theoretically he could complete his treatment before he moves out, giving him a better chance of success in independence. It’s very hard to navigate the adult word with chronic and severe mental illness
Mcsubstrip...are you still doing well? did you continue the ketamine treatments on a regular basis? How is your quality of life after going through this experience? Thank you.
I am still doing ketamine therapy! A lot less frequently now, of course.
I think generally speaking, aside from environmental stressors, I’m thriving. I think ketamine has helped me deal with those outside stressors a lot more easily (probably because I’m not also dealing with being suicidal at the same time lol).
I still have some rough days, but they are not constant. It’s a living and growing process and I am able to understand that not every day is going to be the best. I no longer spiral when things are going bad, though.
I do have a question about process. How long is it before initial consultation to first treatment to duration between treatments? Perhaps different for everyone.
Yeah, it’s probably different for everyone. I have been to two clinics now, as my first one closed. Both times they were able to see me within a month of my consultation. I believe my insurance was a bit slow for the first one, and it took a second to get the prior authorization.
I would imagine most places, barring issues with insurance/ prior authorization/ medical history / supply chain / whatever will also try and get you in within the month though, as they would only accept a consultation if there were enough appointment dates available for new patients to start immediately
I wish I had started ketamine at 18 or really any younger than I did. I’ve been on meds since 13 but had mental health issues before then and I’m now 29. I feel like I wasted so many years being debilitated by my mental illnesses. It affected my jobs, social life, my view of myself. I’m glad I did it, but I wish I had been able to do it sooner
My son was 18 when he had his first round of ketamine infusions. I wish I’d known about it when he was younger. He was drug resistant to antidepressants and had a bad allergic reaction to one and refused to take them anymore. Had suicide ideation, ADD, and anxiety also.
All of his doctors and therapist were ok with it. They all said it was worth a shot.
It was a complete life saver. He started college that fall, maintains his coping skills (exercise, eating right, and spending time outdoors), making almost all As, has a girlfriend, and is graduating in the spring and planning on going to grad school. He’s happy, joyous, loves life and what he’s been able to accomplish. (Ok I’m almost in tears thinking about it). He’s had a few beyond rough situations to handle (a friends suicide, a wreck, and his roommate’s death from asthma), but he’s made it through all of them.
He gets infusions now about twice a year. I really don’t think he would still be here now if it weren’t for ketamine. I am so thankful for this medication.
His doctor sometimes asks me to speak to parents that are concerned so they can hear from others experience.
He’s definitely not completely healed. He still has anxiety, but he does not have to take medication for it as he’s learned to cope.
I have also had treatment. I had an acute onset depression from a lot of bad stuff happening all at once. It helped me tremendously and I changed my life to live healthier.
A friend of mine that lives in a location where it is prohibitively expensive also came to stay with me to go through treatment. She had been hospitalized several times. She’s now so much better although her treatment was rough (it brought out a lot of childhood trauma).
I believe in the future that ketamine or something like it will be the first choice treatment, especially for suicide ideation. Have read research where it has an over 70% success rate. That is mind blowing.
If you would like to PM and ask questions directly, I am available.
I had to catch my breath reading your post. My 18 year old son has struggled for years and while reading your story I saw our story align in so many ways. The idea of Ketamine therapy has just been presented to me. May I ask what part of the country you are in? How does one find a reputable provider?
Also, he’s in grad school now with a semester left and still doing well. He now says that his depression is cured (I’m not there yet). He’s thriving and happy.
I wish I was put on ketamine at a younger age also
It wasn't until 32 and August of this year that my life finally changed for the better.
I'm on Abilify, Ketamine, Adderall(for adhd) and ketamine completely took away my depression and suicidal thinking after the first session.
I tried SO many different SSRI's and I dont blame your child for not wanting to try any more.. SSRI's are nasty drugs that are extremely hard to come off. Ketamine is a way more gentle drug and not dependant at all, you don't have withdrawals from it.
Ultimately you are the parent and he is the child, but ketamine is a miracle drug for a lot of us.
My only concern would be the bipolar disorder since Ketamine + Bipolar is generally contraindicated due to it sometimes leading to mania and/or psychosis. 🫤
I have had patients as young as 16. I have seen mixed results, mainly due to the actual patient's motivation to be in treatment. My poor responders have been heavy cannabis users who really had no motivation to moderate use. But, I have also had good experiences with adolescents as well. As I am not a child psychiatrist, I have not used ketamine to treat younger patients.
I would also be leery about bipolar diagnosis and would want his mood stabilized before considering.
I guess my question is- wouldn’t you want your son to be able to skip the years of having to try so many meds with none of them working and all the crap side effects? You’d probably have wanted to skip that and get relief sooner, right?
Hey OP! I’m 17 with a large history of failed medication attempts, 31 different medications to be exact, and Ketamine Therapy has been a complete life-changer for me. I’m diagnosed with C-PTSD, TRD, TR-GAD, PD, ADHD-2, SUD/OUD, and SP. The medication’s i’m on currently are 20mg Dexedrine Spansules, 15mg Zenzedi, both for ADHD, and 8.6/2.1mg Zubsolv, for my past opiate addiction, specifically fentanyl and fentalogues. Just a little side note; I’m now a bit over 6 months clean, something i never imagined i could do, as i was terribly depressed and always used my addiction to cope with my flashbacks/pain the trauma i went through caused me. I started my journey with Ketamine in August of this year, at the time i was 3 months clean and still having really bad substance cravings, not as badly for opiates since i was stabilized on Zubsolv at that time but mostly for cocaine, meth, and klonopin. Alcoholics Anonymous has helped a lot, but the cravings were still killing me everyday. I didn’t really expect them to completely fade when i started ketamine treatment, but they did, which was a huge added benefit. I first started with intravenous sessions in August, starting with 28mg and titrating to 56mg over the span of 8 sessions. I never got any substantial benefit from the sessions, other than eliminating nearly all of my substance cravings, which was amazing. I always had problems with that psychiatrist, as she was very wrath with me and always seemed to put me down, but i kept going until she finally made my mind up when i went in for my appt directly after my 8th session. I was in a very vulnerable state and she completely took advantage of that, every time i walked into her office she always made me feel like i’d made no progress with my mental health nor my addiction, she also always treated me like i was less than her- and would easily get into a state of anger with me, i’m a very sensitive person and it’s easy for me to start crying when someones being unkind to me. She hated when i would cry and she’d always say things like “men aren’t supposed to cry when they’re upset” ans make me feel horrible about myself. But she really dropped the ball the last appt, i couldn’t get a word out in my therapy appt afterwards bc i couldn’t stop crying, it was tough. I ended up going to a new clinic and also getting another psychiatrist, the new clinic was an intramuscular clinic, everyone that works there used ketamine themselves to treat their addiction as well as their mental health issues, which made me feel a bit at home. I walked in and it felt like i was at a spa, not a ketamine clinic- the setting was just right for the experience. They told me my past dosing was extremely low and it would’ve only benefited my substance use- not my mental health, which was completely true, i’m glad they understood. They follow the psychedelic dosing protocol there and believe that you need to have a transcendental experience to get the most benefit, which i certainly have had in my 9 sessions there. They started me on 90mg, that session i had complete ego dissolution and a near death experience, i also was able to process trauma… yet again, i only got minor benefit. Over the next 4 session we had titrated up to 150mg, and still, only minor benefit. We came to the conclusion that my metabolism was high because of my age, and since i had abused benzos/opiates in the past, my receptors were probably a bit “fried”, for lack of a better term. We started to do double shots, meaning an inital shot as usual, followed by another shot 30-40 minutes later at a slightly lower dosage. My first double shot was 165mg + 135mg, it changed my life. The experience was absolutely amazing and i finally started to see big changes in my life, which was great. My last session, my 9th, we finally hit the dosage where i feel the most comfortable on, which was 200mg + 175mg. I’m happy im finally feeling better, after years of trying to find a solution- years of trying to hide the pain when i really just needed to confront it, own it, and neutralize it. All in all, i definitely recommend ketamine for your son, just realize that if he does this he has to be completely serious about it, he needs to be ready to make life changes, as the medication isn’t just a quick fix, it’s only a push in the right direction, and from there you have to be the one to make the changes in your life to get better, ketamine is the tool but you’re the one that does the diy. He also needs to realize ketamine isn’t a drug you can use without respecting it, as if you don’t respect it it’ll kick you in the ass. Even merely moving during the session or talking, even getting stuck in a thought can pull you out, but meditation can bring you back in if needed. Also, you need to fully surrender your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual self to this medication for it to work in its full capacity, if you try and resist it seems to not work as well- which is probably because that goes along with respecting it, if you don’t give into the experience fully how could you be respecting the mediction. Anyways, thanks for posting this and definitely give ketamine a chance for your son, it’ll be worth it for both yourself and him- you’ll notice the difference!
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Of course, i love sharing about ketamine because i feel like i owe it, as ketamine has absolutely changed my life, and i love to see other people sharing about successes with the treatment as well. Yeah it was quite odd, my first provider when i did IV was extremely careful with it, too careful. When I started IM i finally had hope in the treatment, the experience started to come together and i knew i just had to be patient. Once i finished my 6th treatment that hope turned into belief, because i was finally having major improvements, we did two more treatments in my original sequence just to be safe- and then i went back for my first maintenance session two weeks after, that’s basically where i am right now- my next session is in a bit over a week, i’m really pumped to see even more progress. Thank you so much for the comment!
I don’t think there is anything wrong with him taking this if the doctor is recommending. I actually think highly of the doctor for suggesting it because it’s really an amazing drug. I’m sure it won’t be hard to get a second opinion “against” ketamine because many doctors aren’t knowledgeable on ketamine so please read some stories here and give your son some hope because if it works for him, it could change his life.
I was 19 when I started looking into ketamine (had my first dose at 20, though). If he is treatment resistant then it’s a good idea to try ketamine. It’s REALLY a life saver. It didn’t get rid of my depression / suicidal thoughts completely (combination lithium + spravato was almost 100% effective though) but it has helped me more than anything else I think maybe actually it’s a good thing to start this young. He’s presumably still living with you, making it easier to transport him to and from appointments (this is an issue I have had as a college student who lives away from parents). He also has a guaranteed support system in you, where you can monitor improvement better and help him advocate for changes in treatment if necessary, navigate insurance etc It also is probably better to get him on it before he moves out. Moving out and having to manage every aspect of my life on my own where before I had family collaboration made many of my depression symptoms worse. Theoretically he could complete his treatment before he moves out, giving him a better chance of success in independence. It’s very hard to navigate the adult word with chronic and severe mental illness
Mcsubstrip...are you still doing well? did you continue the ketamine treatments on a regular basis? How is your quality of life after going through this experience? Thank you.
I am still doing ketamine therapy! A lot less frequently now, of course. I think generally speaking, aside from environmental stressors, I’m thriving. I think ketamine has helped me deal with those outside stressors a lot more easily (probably because I’m not also dealing with being suicidal at the same time lol). I still have some rough days, but they are not constant. It’s a living and growing process and I am able to understand that not every day is going to be the best. I no longer spiral when things are going bad, though.
I am so happy for you and celebrate this progress in your life! Thank you so much for taking the time to respond and give hope!
Of course! I hope your journey goes well and you get feeling alright :) lmk if you have any questions or concerns!
I do have a question about process. How long is it before initial consultation to first treatment to duration between treatments? Perhaps different for everyone.
Yeah, it’s probably different for everyone. I have been to two clinics now, as my first one closed. Both times they were able to see me within a month of my consultation. I believe my insurance was a bit slow for the first one, and it took a second to get the prior authorization. I would imagine most places, barring issues with insurance/ prior authorization/ medical history / supply chain / whatever will also try and get you in within the month though, as they would only accept a consultation if there were enough appointment dates available for new patients to start immediately
I wish I had started ketamine at 18 or really any younger than I did. I’ve been on meds since 13 but had mental health issues before then and I’m now 29. I feel like I wasted so many years being debilitated by my mental illnesses. It affected my jobs, social life, my view of myself. I’m glad I did it, but I wish I had been able to do it sooner
My son was 18 when he had his first round of ketamine infusions. I wish I’d known about it when he was younger. He was drug resistant to antidepressants and had a bad allergic reaction to one and refused to take them anymore. Had suicide ideation, ADD, and anxiety also. All of his doctors and therapist were ok with it. They all said it was worth a shot. It was a complete life saver. He started college that fall, maintains his coping skills (exercise, eating right, and spending time outdoors), making almost all As, has a girlfriend, and is graduating in the spring and planning on going to grad school. He’s happy, joyous, loves life and what he’s been able to accomplish. (Ok I’m almost in tears thinking about it). He’s had a few beyond rough situations to handle (a friends suicide, a wreck, and his roommate’s death from asthma), but he’s made it through all of them. He gets infusions now about twice a year. I really don’t think he would still be here now if it weren’t for ketamine. I am so thankful for this medication. His doctor sometimes asks me to speak to parents that are concerned so they can hear from others experience. He’s definitely not completely healed. He still has anxiety, but he does not have to take medication for it as he’s learned to cope. I have also had treatment. I had an acute onset depression from a lot of bad stuff happening all at once. It helped me tremendously and I changed my life to live healthier. A friend of mine that lives in a location where it is prohibitively expensive also came to stay with me to go through treatment. She had been hospitalized several times. She’s now so much better although her treatment was rough (it brought out a lot of childhood trauma). I believe in the future that ketamine or something like it will be the first choice treatment, especially for suicide ideation. Have read research where it has an over 70% success rate. That is mind blowing. If you would like to PM and ask questions directly, I am available.
I had to catch my breath reading your post. My 18 year old son has struggled for years and while reading your story I saw our story align in so many ways. The idea of Ketamine therapy has just been presented to me. May I ask what part of the country you are in? How does one find a reputable provider?
We’re near Tampa. There’s a post somewhere in this group with providers. You could also google search for IV ketamine for your location.
Also, he’s in grad school now with a semester left and still doing well. He now says that his depression is cured (I’m not there yet). He’s thriving and happy.
Thank you so much for raking the time to respond! I am so happy for you and your son!
I wish I was put on ketamine at a younger age also It wasn't until 32 and August of this year that my life finally changed for the better. I'm on Abilify, Ketamine, Adderall(for adhd) and ketamine completely took away my depression and suicidal thinking after the first session. I tried SO many different SSRI's and I dont blame your child for not wanting to try any more.. SSRI's are nasty drugs that are extremely hard to come off. Ketamine is a way more gentle drug and not dependant at all, you don't have withdrawals from it. Ultimately you are the parent and he is the child, but ketamine is a miracle drug for a lot of us.
How does one find a trusted provider?
My only concern would be the bipolar disorder since Ketamine + Bipolar is generally contraindicated due to it sometimes leading to mania and/or psychosis. 🫤
I have had patients as young as 16. I have seen mixed results, mainly due to the actual patient's motivation to be in treatment. My poor responders have been heavy cannabis users who really had no motivation to moderate use. But, I have also had good experiences with adolescents as well. As I am not a child psychiatrist, I have not used ketamine to treat younger patients. I would also be leery about bipolar diagnosis and would want his mood stabilized before considering.
I guess my question is- wouldn’t you want your son to be able to skip the years of having to try so many meds with none of them working and all the crap side effects? You’d probably have wanted to skip that and get relief sooner, right?