Does anyone here have any experience doing their own Ketamine regimen? If so, how did it go? I've been out of therapy for ~3 years and don't really have much experience with drugs, beyond my prescriptions. My main concern is how I'd adjust my current medications (I've heard SSRIs amplify disassociation), as well as how people generally approached dosing? I'm on diazepam and fluoxetine currently, and get significant withdrawals when I miss a couple of doses. Medically-administered ketamine therapy will do me more bad than good, unfortunately, so I figured I'd ask here since there doesn't seem to be much info on people managing their own ketamine regimen online. I'd really appreciate hearing anyone's experiences, or if there are any resources I've overlooked…
i have not done ketamine infusions, but i do take psychedelics for the purpose of improving my mental health. the reason why you aren't seeing info online about people managing their own k regimen is because, for most people, it would be a bad idea. a medical professional should be involved somewhere in the process: to make sure you have no health conditions that k could worsen, to source medical grade k, to determine the correct dose, to provide the k, and to monitor your health for k complications that occasionally arise from repeated use.
these things don't matter much or recreational use, or for people who have a decent amount of experience with k or other dissociatives or hallucinogens. but most people who seek out k treatments are new to k. and when processing trauma or dealing with difficult emotions, i feel extra care should be taken. for example, if your dose is too high when you're using k recreationally, it might suck for a while, but it might end up being a funny story afterwards. and if you have bad side effects you can grin and bear it because you've been through it before and you know how to cope. but if your dose is too high when you're processing childhood trauma, and you're brand new to k, it is a more distressing experience and you might not have enough past experience to handle it effectively yet. also a dose that you measure yourself, from k from the street, dh, etc (which should be assumed to have fillers or potential contamination), is going to be less consistent than medical grade k that's provided as a specific dose. so i wouldn't recommend it for someone who is new to dissociatives and hallucinogenics.
the caveat is that someone who has experience with k could likely manage their own k regimen for the treatment of their mental health and it would work out fine. but it wouldn't be nearly as beneficial due to the quality of k they could access and the method of administration they'd use. medical grade k and iv infusion is the gold standard because it continually pumps the same dose into your vein, resulting in a consistent and smooth experience. and if your dose is too high or too low it can be adjusted in the moment.
if the issue is with doing k treatment in a medical setting, have you looked into at home k treatment instead? and if the issue is with iv k, k injections, or interacting irl with medical professionals, there are some telehealth businesses that give you k pills or lozenges, would you consider that option?
for the sake of harm reduction, i'll give my opinion on how to do this without a medical professional, even though i don't think it's a good option for someone new to dissociatives and hallucinogens. remember im just a random person on the internet and you should consider other perspectives too for a broader outlook. i don't have personal experience with getting medical grade k infusions, this is info is just based on people i know and things i've learned over the years, feel free to take whatever is helpful and leave the rest.
to start with, you shouldn't take k if you're on diazepam. most k clinics make people taper off benzos before starting k because benzos, even small doses, have repeatedly been shown to substantially reduce the antidepressant effects of k. basically, benzos block the neural process that makes k effective as a long-lasting treatment for depression and other mental health conditions (sources:
one, two, three, four). for context, some people who use k recreationally take a small dose of a benzo as a "trip killer" when they want their time on k to end. skipping a dose the day you take k won't change it, because everyday diazepam usage has long term effects on the nervous system that take time to recalibrate.
the dizziness, impaired coordination, and drowsiness that people get on k might be worse if you're also on diazepam. taking k and diazepam can increase the risk of serious side effects like respiratory depression or unconsciousness. this is because both drugs are central nervous system depressants. it's a pretty small risk, assuming both drugs are at a low, therapetic dose, but it still should be mentioned.
if you want to give yourself the best chances for k to have long-lasting positive effects on your mental health, then you should slowly taper off of diazepam (supervised by a medical professional), ideally wait a couple months, and then start k treatment. some people decide not to do this and still get ok results from k treatment. but the results are less beneficial and don't last as long, as found in studies and in anecdotal experiences.
if you have physical health issues like high blood pressure, any cardiovascular issues, kidney issues, liver issues, bladder issues, or a history of seizures, all of these can potentially be worsened by k. if this applies to you, you should ask a medical professional to check out your health before doing k treatment, since you'll take it 2-3 times a week at first. also don't do k if you have a history of psychosis.
when you buy k, there is a decent chance that it is actually a weird analogue/rc that has different mental effects, and is more toxic to the body, compared to actual k. and there's always the risk that it'll be laced or contaminated. i'd be on the lookout for speed or similar rcs, and you should always test for fent. after you buy the k, you'll need to test it with a test kit, specifically one that catches most k analogues. testing is non-negotiable, no matter how confident you are in the source and quality of your k.
then, you will need to determine the dose. dosing depends on the method of administration (nasal or oral). (do not inject k that you bought off the street or dh.) also be aware that snorting any substance, including k, can mess up your nasal passages over time. anyway since most of the resources for therapeutic doses of k (as opposed to recreational doses) are about IV infusions or IM injections, one way to figure out the dose is to make a rough guess based on the bioavailability of your preferred method. you should assume that the k you bought from the street or dh is cut with fillers, making it less pure, which could affect your dosing estimations if you're basing your dose off the dosing estimates for medical grade k. or you can look at low recreational doses for your preferred method and use that as an upper limit for your dose. also, if you take any medications or have underlying health conditions, that could affect the dose as well. if it were me, i would take a low dose at first so you can get used to how k feels, and then next time increase to a more effective dose. i would say that generally speaking, therapeutic use requires more precise doses than recreational use, because the amount of k you can have a fun time on is a wider range than the amount of k you can effectively process difficult past experiences or negative emotions on (especially if you don't have prior experience with k)
if you can, you should also have someone in the building who can help you if needed, especially the first few times you do k. since you don't have much experience with dissociatives and hallucinogens, it's good to have someone there in case you start to experience distress on k--having someone there to calm you if needed can really help. also it's possible for k to cause unexpected physical or mental issues, especially if you have any underlying health conditions, and especially since you haven't tried it before. this person doesn't need to be in the room with you if you'd rather be alone, but they should glance into the room every once in a while to make sure you're alright.
all of this being said, i think that ketamine is a great option, and i encourage you to figure out a way to get it from a medical provider, but if you don't, i hope my comment provided helpful insights.
a few days ago i gave someone my opinion of what to do before and after k infusions to maximize the chance that it will provide long term benefits.
here's that comment in case it would be of interest to you.
i wish you the best of luck!
