Ketamine Infusions

An IV ketamine infusion is a day procedure, so you’ll be able to go home soon afterwards. Here’s what to expect:

1. You’ll have your blood pressure, pulse and other routine checks done by a nurse before you have the treatment.

2. Your consultant will explain the treatment to you and ask you to sign a consent form.

3. When you’re ready for the treatment to begin, you may be given a short-acting sedative if needed to help you relax.

4. They’ll find a suitable vein in your arm to use for the IV solution.

5. Your consultant will clean the skin on the chosen area, insert a small cannula and secure it in place.

6. Your ketamine dose is prepared in a sterile manner, then delivered via the cannula, by an infusion pump that’s set up to deliver the exact amount of ketamine prescribed by your pain medicine consultant.

7. Alongside the ketamine infusion, you’ll be given intravenous fluids and an anti-sickness medication (antiemetic).

8. The low-dose ketamine infusion will take 2 hours to complete.

9. When the infusion has finished, your consultant will remove the cannula and put a dressing over the site where the needle went in.

As with all treatments, it’s important to recognise some of the risks associated with IV ketamine infusions.

Common side effects include:

• anxiety and agitation

• vivid dreams or nightmares

• mood changes 

• Confusion, disorientation, or unusual behaviours 

• double vision or rapid/involuntary eye movements

• hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that aren’t there)

• increased muscle tone and/or jerking movements

• nausea and/or vomiting

• skin reactions

Uncommon side effects include:

• overactive bladder

• UTI (urinary tract infection)

• abnormal heart rhythm (arrhythmias)

• low blood pressure

• shallow breathing (respiratory depression)

Most side effects are short-lived and settle once the infusion has finished.

People with certain health conditions should not usually have ketamine infusions. These include:

• severe high blood pressure

• raised pressure within the skull

• glaucoma (raised pressure inside the eye)

• recent history of epilepsy

• recent history of psychosis

Before your treatment, tell your consultant if your health has changed since the treatment was planned and booked. For example, if you:

• are or could be pregnant

• are breastfeeding

• have new health symptoms of any kind

• have been diagnosed with a new heart problem

People taking certain medications need to check with their consultant before having ketamine infusions. These include, but are not limited to:

• medicines that can make you drowsy, such as some sleep medications and antihistamines

• certain medications for depression

• certain medications for seizures

• opioids for pain or cough

• theophylline

On the day:

• if you’re having sedation with your infusion, you’ll need to fast - no food for 6 hours and only clear fluids up until 2 hours before

There are some key things you need to know about the day of your infusion and the first 24 hours afterwards:

1. During and after the low-dose ketamine infusion, you’ll have checks including pulse, blood pressure, breathing rate, sedation score and psychological or mood changes.

2. You’ll be discharged when your vital signs are good, and you have safely eaten, drunk fluids and passed urine.

3. You need someone to take you home after the session. If this has not been organised, we may not be able to give you the treatment. You cannot drive yourself home afterwards, as you may feel drowsy.

4.     For the first 24 hours, don’t operate heavy machinery, do new exercise or physical activity you’re not used to, and don’t make any important decisions.

5.     Expect to feel more tired than normal for around 24 hours.

6.     After the infusion, you can continue your medications, including your pain medications.

In the following days and weeks:

1. Build up your activity levels steadily after the first 24 to 48 hours. Some people don’t feel fully back to normal for a few weeks.

2. Keep a pain diary on paper, on your phone, or by using a free pain tracker app. Your consultant can tell you what to track, but things like the level of pain, the activity you can do, anything that makes the pain better or worse can be helpful.

3. Our pain medicine specialists offer a personalised pain management approach, so will always provide a follow-up appointment, usually around 2 to 3 weeks after the infusion. This is to look at how you’ve responded – which is why a pain diary is so useful. It’s also a good time to review your pain management plan and perhaps consider other approaches alongside, such as physiotherapy.

4. If your pain has improved enough, your consultant may recommend further low-dose IV ketamine infusions.

Please contact our Pain Medicine centre for pricing information.

At Welbeck, our pain medicine specialists are experts in their field and are dedicated to providing world-class care to every patient.

With access to colleagues across other specialties, our consultants are also able to refer within the Welbeck ecosystem if required to ensure you receive the treatment you need as quickly as possible, all under one roof.  

All appointments, testing, treatment, and follow-up appointments take place within our state-of-the-art facilities, enabling us to deliver accurate diagnostics and advanced treatments.

To book a ketamine infusion you must be referred by either your GP or a consultant following a consultation with them. Self-referrals are not accepted for this treatment.

If you would like to schedule a consultation with a pain medicine specialist, please get in touch to make an appointment. Your health is important to us, so we strive to offer same-day appointments whenever possible.

Our consultants are recognised by the major health insurance companies. If you have private health insurance, your treatment at Welbeck can begin once you have obtained authorisation. We also provide care to self-paying patients. Learn more about the different payment options at Welbeck.