Southwest Florida's Health and Wellness Magazine Health and Wellness Articles
The two services that we provide to patients at Gulf Coast Ketamine Center are intravenous Ketamine infusions and Medical Cannabis assessments. Over the past three and half years, we have observed patients in their deepest despair respond to IV ketamine infusions when no other modes of therapy had significant effects. Patients with severe depression, anxiety, PTSD, as well as chronic pain conditions such as CRPS, intractable migraines, trigeminal neuralgia, post herpetic neuralgia have been given a chance at an improved quality of life and improved function.
Medical Cannabis has become a very hot topic in Florida. We have observed firsthand the benefits it can have when used properly to treat a wide variety of conditions. Patients with glaucoma, Crohn’s disease, chronic pain, cancer, multiple sclerosis, PTSD, anxiety, insomnia among many others have benefited greatly from this therapy.
The majority of our patients, are on prescription drugs such as opiods, benzodiazepines, sleep aids, antidepressants and other antianxiety medications. For the most part, these drugs are highly addictive and carry with them many undesirable side effects. It can be extremely difficult to wean off most of the drugs in these classes. What has become clear, is that patients who have been treated with IV ketamine and patients treated with medical cannabis, whose goals were to decrease or completely wean off these other meds, are finding it much easier to do so. Withdrawal symptoms appear to be quelled in patients undergoing IV ketamine over a number of days. We have seen patients wean narcotics down successfully during the course of infusions with minimal withdrawal symptoms observed. Others, who have been taking benzodiazepines and sleep aids for a long period of time, have been able to slowly wean off of these while being treated with medical cannabis.
There has been some very promising information for patients considering IV ketamine therapy. The experience of the physician administering the infusions cannot be stressed enough. There is no “cookie cutter” recipe or dosage to treat these conditions. After careful evaluation of each individual patient, a care plan is drawn up specific to that patient. The infusions are adjusted based on the response and the patients tolerance. The setting of the infusions is also of utmost importance and cannot be overlooked. Lastly, be wary of claims that seem to be to good to be true. Make sure there is science to substantiate the claims and ask questions. If you have any questions about either of our treatments, please feel free to call me at any time.
Steven Reichbach, MD, Board-Certified Anesthesiologist, specializes in pain management. For more information, please contact their office today at 941-213-4444, or visit their website at findpainrelief.com.
Steven Reichbach, MD
Board-Certified Anesthesiologist
President and Founder,
Gulf Coast Ketamine Center
Lolita Borges, RN
Clinical Director, Gulf Coast
Ketamine Center
Gulf Coast Ketamine Center
2415 University Parkway, Building #3,
Suite 215, Sarasota, FL 34243
941-213-4444
www.findpainrelief.com
