Bipolar Disorder

Ketamine Therapy: The Best New Bipolar Disorder Treatment in Spartanburg, SC

Ketamine has a robust and rapid effect on bipolar disorder, with many patients reporting immediate relief shortly after their very first ketamine infusion session.

At Upstate Ketamine & Wellness Center in Spartanburg, SC, we are proud to offer the latest mental health treatment options. In addition to high levels of safety standards and patient care, we utilize ketamine infusion therapy for the treatment of depression, anxiety, PTSD, OCD, and various chronic pain conditions.

Our goal is to help bring innovative new treatment options to those in our community who need it most. Ketamine infusions have proven to be a powerful and rapid treatment for those dealing with bipolar disorder symptoms.

‍

What Are The Types Of Bipolar Disorder?

There are a few different types of bipolar disorder, but all have typical symptoms of manic and depressive episodes. It is essential to verify which type you are suffering from because treatments vary.

Bipolar I Disorder - Mania and Depression

Bipolar I disorder is the most common form of bipolar disorder, and it is also the most severe. You must have had at least one manic episode, but most people with bipolar I disorder have also gone through at least one major depressive episode.

Bipolar II Disorder - Hypomania and Depression

If you have bipolar II disorder, you will have recurring episodes of major depression and hypomania (a less severe form of mania). If you ever go through a manic episode, your diagnosis will then be changed to bipolar I disorder.

Cyclothymia - Hypomania and Mild Depression

This is a milder form of bipolar disorder, where the mood swings are not severe enough to be classified as mania or major depression.

‍

Quick Relief for Bipolar Disorder Symptoms

Ketamine infusions are quickly becoming one of the most popular treatment options for bipolar disoders and various other mood disorders and chronic pain conditions.

Unlike many traditional medications like SSRIs which can take months to start working, ketamine therapy offers patients relief quickly, with some individuals reporting relief within a few hours of their first infusion session.

‍

How Does Ketamine Help Treat Bipolar Disorder?

Scientists believe that ketamine helps with bipolar disorder by rapidly boosting the activity of glutamate, a neurotransmitter inside the frontal cortex of the human brain, while also allowing new pathways to form in the same area.

The promptness of ketamine in yielding an antidepressant effect occurs because this drug bypasses the conventional serotonin path and goes straight to switching on glutamate.

This is remarkably different from conventional antidepressants, which initially boost serotonin activity levels in several different areas of the brain to ultimately affect glutamate. This process usually takes weeks, sometimes months, while ketamine produces an almost instant result and relief from anxiety symptoms.

‍

What Are The Side Effects of Ketamine Treatment

As a new treatment option for bipolar disorder, ketamine has a few minor side effects. These can include a dream-like feeling, double or blurred vision, lightheadedness, nausea or vomiting, and slight anxiety feelings after being given a dose. This treatment method is not in development because this is an FDA-approved drug utilized for “off-label” or less typical use.

An “off-label” use indicates that it is a treatment that the FDA did not initially authorize. The FDA approves prescription medications only for specific uses, but most medications at some point develop off-label uses as a result of the clinical experience that develops in time.

As a good example, the medication Prazosin’s purpose was to treat hypertension in 1976, but it is now also used to treat nightmares in individuals with PTSD, a use that was not initially approved.

‍

What To Expect During Your Ketamine Infusion

We strive to ensure all of our patients feel as comfortable as possible in their private rooms during treatment.

A number of our patients refer to a “dissociation” effect. For many patients, this disconnection effect aids your treatment and delivers a positive response to your ketamine therapy.

This is all an ordinary component of the treatment. You will always remain in a safe atmosphere with our team to monitor you and be readily available to you during your infusion.