IV Ketamine Treatment
Ketamine Treatment London
Specialist Care for Treatment-Resistant Mental Health Conditions
When depression, anxiety, PTSD, OCD or suicidal thoughts have not improved with standard treatment, the next step needs to be careful, specialist, and medically led. Save Minds provides ketamine therapy in London for adults with severe or treatment-resistant mental health symptoms, following detailed assessment and individualised treatment planning.
Many patients who contact Save Minds have already tried medication, talking therapies or other forms of support before exploring ketamine therapy. Our role is to assess whether this treatment may be appropriate, explain the process clearly and provide structured care in a discreet clinical environment with close monitoring throughout.
- The Basics
What is Ketamine Therapy?
Ketamine therapy is a medically supervised treatment that uses ketamine in a controlled clinical setting. Ketamine has been used in medicine for many years, and in specialist mental health care, it may be considered for certain patients with treatment-resistant mood disorders or severe symptoms that have not improved adequately with standard approaches.
Unlike conventional antidepressants, ketamine appears to act on different pathways in the brain. This is one reason it has become an area of specialist interest for people with depression and related mental health conditions that have not responded well to previous treatment.
At Save Minds, ketamine therapy is only offered after a detailed suitability assessment, so the decision to proceed is based on each patient’s mental health history, current symptoms, medical background and individual needs.
Ketamine therapy may be considered when depression, anxiety or trauma-related symptoms have not responded well to standard treatment.
- The Starting Point
Why standard antidepressants don't work for everyone
For more than thirty years, the dominant theory of depression was simple: a chemical imbalance in the brain. SSRIs and SNRIs were designed around it — keep more serotonin and noradrenaline active in the synapses, and the mood should follow.
For a majority of patients, that works. But for a significant minority, it doesn’t — and standard treatment may not lead to full remission. Clinicians call this treatment-resistant depression.
Throughout the 1990s, researchers at Yale — led by John Krystal and Dennis Charney — began asking the question hiding in plain sight: what if the chemical-imbalance theory was missing the bigger picture?
- Conditions
Conditions Ketamine Therapy Can Be Considered For
Ketamine therapy is not a first-line treatment, and it is not suitable for everyone. It is generally considered in more complex cases where symptoms remain severe despite previous treatment, or where standard medications have not been tolerated well. Save Minds provides assessment-led care for several treatment-resistant mental health conditions.
Ketamine therapy may be considered for people living with severe or treatment-resistant depression, particularly when antidepressants, therapy or other treatment approaches have not provided adequate improvement. Ketamine’s action on glutamate pathways may help explain why some patients experience changes in mood more quickly than with conventional antidepressants, although individual response varies.
Some patients experience anxiety alongside depression, PTSD or other complex mental health symptoms. By influencing brain pathways involved in stress response and emotional regulation, ketamine therapy may help reduce the intensity of anxiety symptoms in selected patients, although suitability depends on the individual’s clinical history, symptom pattern and psychiatric assessment.
PTSD can affect mood, sleep, emotional regulation, relationships and daily functioning. Where trauma-related symptoms have not responded adequately to medication or therapy, ketamine therapy may be considered as part of a specialist treatment plan, with the aim of supporting emotional processing and reducing the impact of deeply ingrained trauma responses.
OCD can become highly disruptive when intrusive thoughts and compulsive behaviours are persistent, distressing or resistant to treatment. Ketamine therapy may be considered in selected cases where OCD occurs as part of a complex treatment-resistant mental health picture, as its effects on brain circuits involved in repetitive thinking and behaviour may help explain its potential role in specialist treatment.
Severe suicidal thoughts require urgent clinical attention. Save Minds does not provide emergency crisis care, but the clinic may assess patients with severe suicidal ideation where specialist treatment is being considered as part of a structured medical pathway.
Research suggests ketamine may reduce suicidal thoughts more rapidly in some patients than standard antidepressant approaches, although it is not a substitute for emergency care. If someone is at immediate risk of harm, they should call 999, attend A&E or contact a crisis support service immediately.
- 01 · Discovery
Depression isn't just a chemical state.
When Yale researchers scanned the brains of patients with long-term depression, they found something unexpected: actual structural changes. The hippocampus — responsible for memory, emotion, and cognitive flexibility — had visibly shrunk. The prefrontal cortex, which governs decision-making and mood regulation, had thinned.
Depression, anxiety, PTSD and OCD weren’t simply imbalances waiting to be corrected. They were leaving real, measurable marks on the brain.
- 02 · Mechanism
Chronic stress prunes the brain like a tree losing its leaves.
Researchers exposed rats to two weeks of sustained stress — roughly equivalent to six months in a human life. Before: each neuron was a richly branching tree, with thousands of connections extending outward. After: those same neurons had lost almost all their branches. They could no longer reach out. They could no longer adapt.
The technical term is loss of neuroplasticity — the brain’s ability to change, learn, and rewire itself. In depression, anxiety, PTSD and OCD, this is the underlying problem.
- 03 · The Breakthrough
Ketamine restores what stress took away.
Ketamine acts on glutamatergic signalling through mechanisms that differ from conventional monoaminergic antidepressants. Research suggests that downstream effects may include changes in AMPA signalling, synaptic plasticity and neurotrophic pathways. However, the relationship between these biological effects and clinical improvement remains under investigation.
Within hours of a single infusion, BDNF levels begin to rise. Over a full programme, pruned neurons regrow their branches. The brain becomes able to adapt again – and the symptoms that came with the loss begin to lift.
IV ketamine delivers the drug directly into the bloodstream, producing the most precise, controllable, and bioavailable form of treatment available. Unlike oral or nasal formulations, there is no absorption barrier – the full dose reaches the brain exactly as intended.
In 2019, the FDA granted esketamine – a different, nasal-spray formulation related to ketamine – Breakthrough Therapy designation, an expedited-review status for treatment-resistant depression. This designation does not itself represent an efficacy verdict, and it applies to esketamine specifically, not to the IV ketamine treatment offered at Save Minds, which remains an off-label prescription treatment.
100%
Bioavailability: IV / Intravenous delivery avoids the variable absorption of oral and nasal routes, allowing the dose to be controlled and adjusted during the session.
2019
The year the FDA granted esketamine – a different, nasal-spray formulation – Breakthrough Therapy designation, an expedited-review status that is not an efficacy verdict and does not apply to IV ketamine.
- The Delivery Method
Why we use intravenous infusion
Ketamine can be taken several ways — as a tablet, as a nasal spray, or as an intramuscular injection. They all work to some degree, but they all share the same fundamental problem: absorption is unpredictable. Two patients on the same dose can end up with completely different levels of the drug in their bloodstream.
Intravenous delivery allows the dose to be controlled precisely and adjusted during the session, which is why the published randomised controlled trials of ketamine in treatment-resistant depression have used IV infusion.
| Method | Absorption | Dose Precision | Real-time Adjustment |
|---|---|---|---|
| IV Infusion | Direct to bloodstream; not subject to absorption variability | High | Yes |
| Nasal spray | Variable, 25–50% | Moderate | No |
| Oral tablet | Variable, 16–24% | Low | No |
| Intramuscular | Reliable | Moderate | No |
- Suitability
Who May Ketamine Therapy Be Suitable For?
Ketamine therapy is usually considered for adults whose symptoms have not improved adequately with conventional treatment options, or for those who have been unable to tolerate medication side effects. Suitability depends on psychiatric assessment, mental health history, current symptoms, medical background and individual risk factors.
Each treatment session at Save Minds is administered by a consultant. Save Minds has delivered more than 7,500 treatment sessions, each administered by a consultant. You are never treated by a nurse, a junior or a technician.
- Potential suitability may include
- Adults with treatment-resistant depression, anxiety, PTSD, OCD or overlapping symptoms
- Patients who have tried previous medications without enough improvement
- Patients who cannot tolerate antidepressants due to side effects
- People experiencing complex trauma-related symptoms that have not responded to standard care
- Patients who need specialist assessment for severe or persistent mental health symptoms
- Individuals who are medically suitable for supervised intravenous treatment
- Who is not a good candidate
- Certain medical conditions that make treatment unsuitable
- Uncontrolled blood pressure
- Active substance misuse concerns
- Unstable psychiatric symptoms
- Other individual risk factors identified at assessment
At Save Minds, every patient has a psychiatric suitability assessment before treatment is considered.
- Benefits
Benefits of Ketamine Therapy
The potential benefits of ketamine therapy should always be discussed in the context of the individual patient. Some people explore this treatment after many years of limited response to other approaches, so it is important that expectations are realistic, careful and clinically guided from the beginning.
For suitable patients, ketamine therapy may offer several potential advantages:
- It works through different brain pathways from many standard antidepressants
- It may be considered when previous medication or therapy has not provided enough relief
- It is delivered in a medically supervised clinical setting
- Treatment can be adjusted according to individual response
- It may be considered for patients with complex or overlapping symptoms
- Progress can be monitored using structured mood and anxiety feedback
- It forms part of a planned treatment pathway rather than a one-off intervention
- Honest Expectations
Risks and Realistic Expectations of Ketamine Therapy
Ketamine therapy is a specialist medical treatment and should not be presented as a guaranteed solution. Response varies between patients, and some people may not experience the level of improvement they hoped for. Suitability, risks, possible side effects and realistic expectations should always be discussed before treatment begins.
At Save Minds, treatment is only considered after psychiatric evaluation and clinical review. This helps ensure that each patient understands the process, the possible benefits, the limitations and the reasons treatment may or may not be appropriate for them. The aim is to provide careful, responsible care for people with complex mental health needs, not to offer ketamine therapy as a quick fix.
For suitable patients, ketamine therapy may offer another option when conventional mental health treatments have not provided enough relief.
- Your Journey
What to Expect From Your Ketamine Treatment Journey
The Save Minds pathway is designed to make each stage clear, structured and clinically appropriate. Before ketamine therapy is recommended, the team will review your symptoms, treatment history and overall suitability, then plan treatment around your individual needs. As part of this process, a referral from your GP or psychiatrist is usually required before an assessment can be arranged.
Online Treatment Request
Your journey begins with an online treatment request, which gives the clinic initial information about your symptoms, treatment background and reasons for exploring ketamine therapy.
Patient Information and Initial Questions
As symptoms improve, sessions space out — first weekly, then fortnightly. The brain consolidates the new neural patterns. Your consultant adjusts the schedule based on real-time mood and clinical data.
Psychiatric Suitability Assessment
Some patients benefit from occasional maintenance sessions after completing the main programme. This is optional and assessed individually with your consultant.
Individualised Treatment Planning
If treatment is considered suitable, your plan is arranged according to your clinical needs, urgency, availability and response to treatment over time.
Medically Supervised Treatment Sessions
Treatment is delivered in a clinical setting with medical supervision, so your comfort, safety and response can be monitored during each session.
Daily Mood and Anxiety Monitoring
Save Minds uses structured mood and anxiety feedback to track progress during treatment, helping the team review your response and adjust planning where appropriate.
- BEFORE
Preparation, not pressure.
Fasting
Clear fluids allowed up to 2 hours before; food up to 4 hours prior.
Medication
Continue all your current medications unless your consultant has specifically told you otherwise.
Transport
Arrange a trusted person to take you home, or use a taxi or Uber. You can’t drive after a session.
Filming
No photography or filming during treatment — for everyone’s privacy.
Bring
Comfortable clothing, your own playlist if you’d like, anything that helps you feel settled. We provide the rest.
- During
A 50-minute infusion. Continuous care throughout.
The setting
A private clinical suite. Reclining armchair, soft blankets, eye mask available, calming music playing.
The infusion
A small IV cannula in your arm. A low, precisely controlled dose of ketamine delivered over approximately 50 minutes.
What you’ll feel
Many patients describe a peaceful, slightly dreamlike state — sometimes a floating or dissociative sensation. A brief cold sensation at the infusion site is normal.
Your consultant
Always present and reachable throughout. You can communicate at any time. Heart rate, oxygen, and blood pressure are continuously monitored.
Recovery
After the infusion ends, you rest for around an hour as the dissociative sensation passes. You’ll leave feeling calm — most patients are ready to return to normal activities the next day.
- AFTER
The work doesn't end when you leave.
Daily mood tracking
Starting the day of your first session, you’ll receive a short daily check-in via our proprietary app. Two questions: mood, anxiety. Less than 30 seconds.
Clinical communication
With your consent, we share a treatment summary with your GP and psychiatrist so your wider care team is informed.
Going home
Most patients return to work or normal activities the next day. Driving is not permitted on the day of treatment itself.
Maintenance
Some patients benefit from occasional maintenance sessions after completing the main programme, tapering down over time. This is decided individually with your consultant.
Ongoing support
Your consultant remains available throughout — both during the programme and afterwards.
- Built In-House
Daily Mood and Anxiety Monitoring
Save Minds uses structured mood and anxiety feedback to track progress during treatment, helping the team review your response and adjust planning where appropriate.
You see your own progress. Your consultant adjusts your programme based on data, not impressions.
- PHQ-9
- GAD-7
- Y-BOCS
- RRS-10
- C-SSRS
- NSESSS
- QIDS-SR
- WEMWBS
- Daily Mood
- Common Misconceptions
What ketamine isn't.
- Misconception
- Reality
“Isn’t ketamine a club drug? Won’t I become addicted?”
Recreational ketamine use involves frequent, unmonitored, high-dose self-administration over months or years — that is a real cause of harm. Therapeutic ketamine is entirely different: low, precisely controlled doses delivered under medical supervision, weeks apart, for a limited treatment course. Long-term clinical trials of ketamine treatment for depression have not documented cases of dependence or abuse following treatment. Misuse, tolerance and dependence potential are assessed at your psychiatric assessment and monitored throughout treatment.
- Misconception
- Reality
“Isn’t this just an experimental treatment?”
Ketamine has been used as an anaesthetic in operating theatres since the 1960s. Its use for treatment-resistant depression is more recent but well-established — Yale began this work in 2000, and esketamine — a nasal spray derivative of ketamine — became the first antidepressant with a genuinely novel mechanism to receive FDA Breakthrough Therapy designation in 2019. IV ketamine itself remains a prescription treatment used off-label, with over two decades of published clinical evidence behind it. NHS Oxford has been offering it for nearly a decade. Delivering ketamine-assisted treatment since 2017; CQC-registered at our current premises since November 2020. Save Minds has treated more than 750 patients.
- Misconception
- Reality
“Will I lose control during treatment?”
The therapeutic dose used at Save Minds is well below anaesthetic levels. You remain conscious throughout, able to speak with your consultant, and able to ask for the infusion to be slowed or paused at any moment. Many patients describe the experience as introspective, peaceful, or slightly dreamlike. Some sessions feel emotionally significant; others feel like simply resting. You are in control throughout.
- Why Save Minds
Why Choose Save Minds for Ketamine Therapy in London?
Save Minds provides specialist ketamine therapy in London through a consultant-led, CQC-registered clinic focused on treatment-resistant mental health conditions. Care is structured around assessment, medical supervision, individualised planning and close monitoring, rather than a one-size-fits-all treatment model.
Patients choose Save Minds for:
- Consultant-led care in a specialist clinical setting
- Experience supporting complex and treatment-resistant mental health conditions
- Daily mood and anxiety tracking through a proprietary app
- CQC-registered treatment environment
- Individualised treatment plans based on suitability and response
- Discreet care for patients in London, across the UK and internationally
- A structured pathway for people who have already tried standard treatment options
- Questions
FAQs
How does ketamine therapy work?
Ketamine therapy works differently from many standard antidepressants. It appears to act on brain pathways involved in mood regulation, including glutamate signalling, which is one reason it may be considered for some people with treatment-resistant symptoms. Suitability and expected response vary, so treatment should always be guided by specialist assessment.
What does ketamine therapy do?
Ketamine therapy is used in a medically supervised setting to support selected patients with severe or treatment-resistant mental health symptoms. For suitable patients, it may help reduce symptoms, support emotional regulation and create a window where wider mental health care can become more effective. It is not a guaranteed treatment, and response differs from person to person.
What is ketamine therapy used for?
Ketamine therapy may be considered for adults with treatment-resistant mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety, PTSD, OCD and severe suicidal thoughts. It is usually explored when standard treatments have not provided enough improvement or have not been tolerated well. A detailed assessment is needed before deciding whether it is appropriate.
What does ketamine therapy feel like?
The experience of ketamine therapy can vary between patients. Some people describe feeling detached, deeply relaxed, light-headed or more aware of thoughts and emotions during treatment. Sessions are medically supervised, and the team monitors comfort, safety and response throughout the process.
Is ketamine therapy safe?
Ketamine therapy should only be provided in a medically supervised setting after careful assessment. Like any medical treatment, it can involve side effects and is not suitable for every patient. At Save Minds, suitability, risks, monitoring and expectations are reviewed before treatment begins, so care can be planned around each patient’s needs.
Who is not a good candidate for ketamine therapy?
Ketamine therapy is not suitable for everyone. It may not be appropriate for people with certain medical conditions, uncontrolled blood pressure, active substance misuse concerns, unstable psychiatric symptoms or other risk factors that make treatment unsuitable. At Save Minds, every patient has a psychiatric suitability assessment before treatment is considered.
What is the typical ketamine treatment schedule?
The standard programme comprises twice-weekly sessions over 5 weeks, followed by a tapering phase determined by individual response. Over the course of treatment, patients typically require 15 to 20 sessions, spread over 4 to 6 months. Some patients benefit from occasional maintenance sessions afterwards; this is assessed individually with your consultant.
How are vital signs and mental state monitored during treatment?
Every session is conducted in a private clinical suite with continuous monitoring of blood pressure, heart rate and mental state. No patient is left unsupervised at any point, allowing the clinical team to monitor comfort, safety and response throughout treatment.
Can I continue my current medications?
In almost all cases, yes. You should continue your current medications throughout treatment unless your consultant specifically advises otherwise. Decisions about reducing or stopping medications happen later, gradually, in collaboration with your prescribing doctor.
Is it covered by insurance?
No. Ketamine for mental health is currently classified as “off-label” use, which UK private medical insurers don’t cover. Fees are paid as you attend each session — no large upfront payment is required.
What if I don't respond?
Your consultant will be honest with you about your response to treatment. If you’re not responding, this will be discussed with you directly, and you won’t continue to be charged for sessions that aren’t helping.
Can I stop treatment at any time?
Yes. There’s no commitment, no upfront package, and no penalty for stopping. You pay per session as you attend. Around 5% of patients discontinue treatment for various reasons, and that’s always your call.
Do you offer therapy alongside ketamine?
No. We deliver ketamine infusion therapy as a standalone treatment focused on neuroplasticity, not as part of ketamine-assisted psychotherapy. Many of our patients have already done years of therapy. If you want to continue or restart therapy alongside treatment, we’d encourage that — we just don’t provide it ourselves.
“I treat people who have tried everything else. They come in tired — not just from the depression, but from the years of being told to try one more pill. My job is to show them that there is a different mechanism, and a different way through.” Save Minds has treated more than 750 patients.
Dr Rajalingam Yadhunanthanan · Founder, CEO & Lead Clinician · MBBS, MD, FRCA, DICM
Understand the science. Then take the first step.
If you’ve read this far, you know what’s possible. The next step is a quick eligibility check or a free, no-pressure call with our team.