Ketamine Treatment at Lumin Health

Ketamine treatment is a psychiatrist-led therapy that uses low doses of ketamine, or its FDA-approved relative esketamine (Spravato), to help relieve depression that hasn't responded to standard medications. For some people, relief begins within hours to days rather than weeks.

If you have tried two or more antidepressants without enough relief, you are not out of options. This page explains what ketamine therapy is, the two ways Lumin Health offers it, and what treatment looks like, so you can explore whether it may be a fit.

How Ketamine Therapy Works

Ketamine therapy is an evidence-based, off-label use of a medicine that has been in use for over 50 years. Ketamine is a racemic mixture: it contains two mirror-image molecules, S-ketamine and R-ketamine. At treatment doses, far below those used in anesthesia, it acts on the brain's glutamate system and opens a window of heightened neuroplasticity, a period when the brain can more easily form new connections.

Your brain isn't broken. It may just be stuck in patterns that keep depression in place, and ketamine may help loosen them. For a deeper explainer, read what ketamine therapy is and how it works.

Two Ways to Receive Ketamine Treatment at Lumin Health

Your care team recommends one pathway, never both at once, based on your diagnosis, history and goals. Most commercial plans cover esketamine (Spravato), while IM ketamine is typically self-pay. See ketamine treatment cost and the insurance we accept. Compare the two medicines on ketamine and esketamine.

Who Ketamine Treatment May Help

Ketamine has its strongest evidence in depression, especially depression that has not improved after two or more antidepressants. Learn more about ketamine for depression. For conditions like anxiety, OCD and PTSD, our clinicians use IM ketamine off-label, supported by a growing body of clinical research.

Ketamine treatment isn't right for everyone. Read who is not a good candidate for ketamine therapy.

What Ketamine Treatment Looks Like

It starts with a free consultation. A psychiatric clinician reviews your symptoms, history and goals, and builds a plan with you. Each session takes place in a private, quiet room with psychiatric care on site, and you are monitored throughout. You will need a ride home, and you should not drive until the next day after a restful sleep.

A course of IM ketamine is often 6 to 10 sessions over 3 to 5 weeks. Esketamine (Spravato) follows its own FDA-approved schedule. Before your first visit, see what to expect at your first Spravato session, and afterward, what to do in the 72 hours after ketamine therapy.

Psychiatrist-Led Ketamine Therapy

Treatment at Lumin Health is led by academically-affiliated psychiatrists and psychiatric nurse practitioners specifically trained in ketamine and esketamine. Meet our team.

Ketamine Treatment FAQ

What is ketamine treatment?

Ketamine treatment uses low, monitored doses of ketamine or esketamine (Spravato) to help relieve depression and related conditions. It works on the brain's glutamate system rather than serotonin, which is why relief can come faster than with standard antidepressants.

How is ketamine therapy given at Lumin Health?

Two ways: esketamine (Spravato) as a nasal spray, or ketamine as an intramuscular (IM) injection. Both are given in a private room with psychiatric care on site.

Is ketamine therapy FDA-approved?

Esketamine (Spravato) is FDA-approved for adults with treatment-resistant depression and for major depressive disorder with suicidal thoughts. Ketamine itself is FDA-approved only for anesthesia, so its use for depression is off-label and evidence-based.

How quickly does ketamine treatment work?

In clinical trials, some people felt relief within hours to days of a dose. How long relief lasts varies, which is why treatment is usually a series of sessions rather than one.