For Patients
Do You Have:
Major Depressive Disorder or
Treatment Resistant Depression
Ketamine treatments could help.
More information.
For Health Professionals
Do you have a patient with a treatment-resistant mental health condition?
Spravato treatments
Health Canada has approved nasal eskatimine for depression relief
This version of ketamine treatments is now available at Toronto Ketamine Clinic
Please contact us, or have your health-care provider contact us.
How can ketamine help and what should I expect from treatments?
What it is and how it works
It is a legal anesthetic. In breakthrough research, it was also found to provide fast-acting and potentially life-saving relief for many patients who have major depression resistant to treatment, or suicidal thoughts. Research is also showing promise for other mood disorders and mental health conditions that have not been helped by traditional treatments when administered under clinical, controlled settings. Ketamine is used illegally and in higher doses as a recreational drug, which can cause dissociation with hallucinations.
Researchers continue to study how ketamine works to reverse severe depression and other conditions. It appears to act on the neurotransmitter glutamate (as opposed to current medications, which act on other neurotransmitters and take longer to work, if at all). Ketamine is thought to stimulate regrowth of neural connections in the brain that are lost under stress, which includes major mood disorders.
Is it right for me?
If you suffer from major depression or suicidal ideation, and have tried treatments that have not helped you, Toronto Ketamine Clinic will offer a free assessment to determine whether you are a good candidate to try ketamine treatments.
What to expect from treatments:
If you are a good candidate for SPRAVATO treatments:
- You will take SPRAVATO® nasal spray yourself, under the supervision of a healthcare provider in a healthcare setting. Your healthcare provider will show you how to use the SPRAVATO® nasal spray device.
- Your healthcare provider will tell you how much SPRAVATO® you will take and when you will take it.
- Follow your SPRAVATO® treatment schedule exactly as your healthcare provider tells you to.
- During and after each use of the SPRAVATO® nasal spray device, you will be checked by a healthcare provider who will decide when you are ready to leave the healthcare setting.
- You will need to plan for a caregiver or family member to drive you home after taking SPRAVATO®.
- If you miss a SPRAVATO® treatment, your healthcare provider may change your dose and treatment schedule.
- Some people taking SPRAVATO® get nausea and vomiting. You should not eat for at least 2 hours before taking SPRAVATO® and not drink liquids at least 30 minutes before taking SPRAVATO®.
- If you take a nasal corticosteroid or nasal decongestant medicine take these medicines at least 1 hour before taking SPRAVATO®.
If you are a good candidate for IV ketamine treatments, you will be scheduled for a series of 45-minute sessions of intravenous infusions in our Toronto clinic. You will be offered a recovery period after your treatment, which depends on your individual response, and you will need a companion to accompany you home after treatment. You will be scheduled for three weeks of 2-times-a-week infusions. Follow-up visits for booster infusions are available as needed, and would typically be in 2-3 months, depending on individual needs.
Our Medical Team
We Understand Depression.
Toronto Ketamine Clinic is the brain-child of leading industry experts with experience treating patients with Treatment-Resistant Depression across North America. We are committed to being leaders in the field of treating depression.
Read more about our incredible, knowledable team members.
Dr. Alim Ladha
Chief Anesthesiologist
Dr. Jack Barkin
Senior Medical Advisor
Dr. Paul Garfinkel
Psychiatrist and Former CEO, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, professor in Psychiatry at University of Toronto Advisor