The VA Recognizes Ketamine As An Emergency Treatment For PTSD And Depression Patients At High Suicide Risk

CLEARWATER, Fla., Sept. 27, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Long used as an safe and effective sedative for surgery, Ketamine has found new life as a treatment for severe depression, PTSD and suicidal ideation. Praised by some mental health experts, the drug so far has achieved very good results in clinical trials. The military now recognizes its' potential, and last fall Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio became part of study on its effects. BAMC will treat active-duty troops with Ketamine, while a VA hospital near Yale will treat veterans. Another study is currently underway at a Veterans Affairs medical center in Cleveland, Ohio. The VA is trying to stem the tide of rising suicide rates among veterans, which average 22 per day - that's one suicide every 65 minutes.

A staff psychiatrist at the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center in Ohio, Dr. Punit Vaidya stated "30% of individuals with major depression don't respond to traditional medications, so people can become desperate for things that work, because they can have a huge impact on their quality of life, and their overall functioning. The effects of the ketamine infusion can often be seen within a day, if not hours," Vaidya explained. "If you look at their depression ratings and suicidal ratings given right before treatment and even four hours later you can see a significant reduction and I think that's really quite remarkable," Vaidya said.

Dr. Ashraf Hanna, a board certified physician and director of pain management at the Florida Spine Institute in Clearwater, Florida discusses PTSD and Treatment-Resistant Depression: "There are many forms of depression that can be treated by a psychiatrist with various modalities, anti-depressants and psychotherapy. IV Ketamine therapy is only reserved for those patients that have Treatment-Resistant Depression that have failed conventional therapy. IV Ketamine infusion therapy has offered a new hope to patients that had no hope."

When asked what prompted his use of IV Ketamine for PTSD and Depression and if any universities were involved in its development, Dr. Hanna went on to say: "There have been multiple universities involved in the research such as Harvard, Yale and Stanford that have proven the success rate of IV Ketamine for treatment-resistant depression. Since I was already successfully using IV Ketamine for CRPS/RSD, Fibromyalgia, Neuropathy, and Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome, with over 10,000 infusions to date, I wanted to expand the treatment for PTSD, Depression, bipolar and Obsessive Compulsive Disorders. Since I am not a psychiatrist, I do not treat depression, but I work with qualified psychiatrists, and if he or she feels the patient has failed other treatment modalities, I then administer IV Ketamine for treatment-resistant depression."

Dr. Hanna recently teamed up with The Tampa Bay Foundation for Mental Health in a conference to support crisis services and to advance suicide prevention at the Armature Works in Tampa, Florida. "We owe it to our great veterans and severely depressed patients to help them cope with this terrible disease, and give them hope in their critical time of need," Dr. Hanna stated.

"I would also like to announce that we accept most insurance for our Ketamine infusions, which will help many more people to have access to this treatment," stated Dr. Hanna.

For over 25 years, Dr. Ashraf Hanna and the Florida Spine Institute have been the leader in pain management and most trusted medical facility in the Tampa Bay area, providing the latest advancements in chronic pain treatment, spine surgery, and the treatment of spine and joint pain.

For more information regarding IV Ketamine Infusion therapy for PTSD and Depression, please visit: https://www.ivketamine.com or call 727-538-2646

SOURCE ivketamine.com

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