Ketamine is a prescription anesthetic that when used in low doses over a longer infusion time can help treat chronic pain, anxiety and depression. Through many scientific studies it was found that this medicine over repeated, controlled doses can help promote change within the brain itself-helping people to have a prolonged reduction of their symptoms. At Biofuse, we are thrilled to be able to provide our clients with this opportunity in a safe, comfortable environment. We truly feel that this therapy in conjunction with your ongoing treatments can be an effective tool in decreasing symptoms and helping you get more of your life back.

 Before Your Initial Infusion

Biofuse uses MoodMonitor – a secure, reliable, easy-to-use reporting and monitoring tool– that helps us ensure the best possible outcomes for our ketamine patients. You will receive a text message from MoodMonitor inviting you to create an account.

Once you sign up, you will receive a daily text message asking about your pain or mood. Simply reply with a number between 1 (low) and 10 (high) to help keep track of your pain or mood.

These ratings will be recorded on your chart, which we both will have access to so that working together we can better plan your care and keep your symptoms in check.

In addition, once you get your first treatment you will start receiving a request via text every two weeks to answer a short survey about your current symptoms. It is very important you fill out this survey for our clinic provider, so we can adjust your treatment dose and frequency to your exact needs.

Your Initial Infusion

Your first infusion at Biofuse will consist of a consultation with one of our medical providers. At this time, they will review the therapy with you as well as your own medical history and be present to answer any questions you might have. After this consultation and an initial reading of your vital signs, your infusion of Ketamine will begin.

To ensure your safety and to decrease potential side effects with this medication, we will require the following before your infusion:

• No use of benzodiazapines (Xanax, Ativan, etc.) at least 4 hours prior to your infusion.

• That you consume no food or just a light snack prior to your appointment.

• That you have a driver able to take you home after your infusion. If you do not have someone to drive you home, the infusion will NOT be initiated.

Through research and feedback, we have learned that an influential aspect of this therapy being effective is your situational experience while receiving Ketamine. Because of that, we recommend the following:

• Wear loose, comfortable clothing with layers so you can be at a comfortable temperature.

• Bring any object, calming music with headphones, pillow or blanket that you find relaxing to have near you. If you forget, we do have some items available to help keep you comfortable.

• We will be dimming the lights for you, but we recommend sunglasses or an eye mask to limit distractions.

• Deep breathing and meditation exercises prior to your appointment to help you get to a calm, reflective state of mind.

• For some, they have found great effectiveness in having a ‘support person’ with them during their infusions. While this is NOT a dangerous or anxiety producing event, during your infusion, you may feel compelled to share thoughts with another person.

Your infusion can take anywhere from 45 minutes to 2 hours, and during that time a RN will be checking your vital signs and status every 15 minutes. After your infusion completes, we will require that you stay at the clinic for another 30-45 minutes so your vital signs and alertness will come back to baseline. At that time you will be free to go, as long as you are feeling well enough, with your driver. We will NOT initiate the infusion if you do not have a driver to get you home.

After Your First Infusion:

You may notice a more ‘reflective’ state of mind after your infusion and some sleepiness. That’s perfectly normal and we encourage you to take the day for yourself to reflect and rest. We also encourage you to space at least a day between infusions, so you don’t get too fatigued prior to your next infusion.

If you have any further questions, please feel free to reach out to us at any time. We are excited to go on this journey with you and help you get the most out of this experience!

hello@biofuse.net

Call or Text:

Grand Rapids: (616) 888-5006

Traverse City: (231) 645-9123

Kalamazoo: (269) 686-6185

Boise: (208) 484-7200