Ketamine Therapy for Depression, PTSD, Anxiety, Chronic Pain, & Addiction in D.C., Maryland, & Virginia
Ketamine Therapy for Depression, PTSD, Anxiety, Chronic Pain, & Addiction in D.C., Maryland, & Virginia
Millions of Americans suffer from mood disorders and chronic pain. At Avesta Ketamine and Wellness, with clinics in McLean, Virginia, Bethesda, Maryland, and Washington DC, our providers work with our patients’ care teams to build the most efficacious treatment plan for the patient.
- Intravenous (IV) ketamine infusions are a highly efficacious treatment for individuals with mood disorders, and can help those with chronic pain (Mandal, Sinha, & Goyal, 2019) (Willis & Goldstein, 2022)
Our success rates in mood disorder patients aged 14-65 are 75-80%, in line with research
Research shows that ketamine can help individuals who have been treatment-resistant to other medications (Carboni et al., 2021)
We follow a research-based, safe and effective protocol created by Dr. Ladan Eshkevari that is individualized to each patient based on their response
Dr. Ladan Eshkevari, PhD, CRNA, LAc, FAAN, is Founder and co-CEO of Avesta Ketamine Wellness.
Dr. Ladan Eshkevari, PhD, CRNA, LAc, FAAN, is Founder and co-CEO of Avesta Ketamine Wellness.
Dr. Ladan Eshkevari, PhD, CRNA, LAc, FAAN, is Founder and co-CEO of Avesta Ketamine Wellness.
Dr. Eshkevari is a professor Emeritus at Georgetown University where she was full-time faculty for 25 years, educating graduate nursing and medical students. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing with Honors from the University of Maryland and her Master of Science in nurse anesthesia from Columbia University in NYC. She earned her doctorate in physiology and biophysics from Georgetown University. She is an expert in the area of stress related depression, anxiety, anesthesia, pain management, and alternative medicine, and holds a diplomate degree in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture.
Dr. Eshkevari has been published in numerous peer reviewed scientific journals and has been highlighted in several popular magazines such as National Geographic, and Time Magazine. She is a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing, the highest honor bestowed on nurses both nationally and internationally.
Dr. Eshkevari is one of the first ketamine providers in the DMV area; many providers in the area use her protocols after following her in her original Chevy Chase, MD office.
Interested in understanding more about how ketamine can help your patients?
Send us an email at team@avestaketaminewellness.com. We would love to introduce you to the mechanics and research supporting IV ketamine infusions for treatment of mood disorders and chronic pain.
How does ketamine work in the brain?
Ketamine is an effective alternative to other medications for mood disorders and certain pain disorders for various reasons (safe, minimal side effects, non-addictive, etc).
It works by affecting neurotransmitters, specifically, those that increase glutamate and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). When these two neurotransmitters are out of balance, individuals can experience increased mood disorder symptoms, such as heightened anxiety. Among its other roles, glutamate increases neural connections and influences how someone feels about and responds to their experiences.
What patients can expect:
- Timeline
Mood disorder patients start with an induction phase of six-to-eight 45-60 min infusions, spread over a two-to-three week period.
Pain patients start with an induction phase of three-to-five consecutive four-hour infusions.
The induction phase is followed by a much more individualized maintenance phase, where the goal is to extend the time between visits until patients feel stable enough to come in only as needed.
- Effectiveness
On average, patients feel effects within the first 4-5 treatments.
With permission, our Avesta team works with the other providers on our patients' care teams to provide optimal care. We highly recommend continuing regular care with a mental health practitioner throughout treatment with us and often refer patients to providers.
Most patients benefit from weekly integrative therapy sessions while undergoing their induction
On average, patients feel effects within the first 4-5 treatments.
With permission, our Avesta team works with the other providers on our patients' care teams to provide optimal care. We highly recommend continuing regular care with a mental health practitioner throughout treatment with us and often refer patients to providers.
Most patients benefit from weekly integrative therapy sessions while undergoing their induction
- Response
The response to ketamine is very individual: some patients feel the benefits right away, while others require all induction infusions, and sometimes more treatments, to notice a change in their mood or pain.
Our providers assess the patient’s response at each infusion to determine how they are responding overall, and how we can optimize the dosing and infusion rate to achieve the desired response.
The response to ketamine is very individual: some patients feel the benefits right away, while others require all induction infusions, and sometimes more treatments, to notice a change in their mood or pain.
Our providers assess the patient’s response at each infusion to determine how they are responding overall, and how we can optimize the dosing and infusion rate to achieve the desired response.
