One of the greatest moments in a mother’s life is giving birth to her baby. However, there are instances when she may sink into Howell postpartum depression. When a woman develops the condition, it is because her body has undergone many emotional and behavioral changes during her pregnancy. Typically, she will experience sadness and be emotionless. If these feelings happen for longer than two weeks, it may be time to see a doctor. At this stage, doctors may prescribe ketamine to manage it. Here are the steps on how the ketamine treatment is administered.
Screening
Ketamine is a drug that provides relief to patients who do not respond to psychiatric medications. The factor that sets it apart from other treatments is that it works on the glutamatergic neurotransmitter system. As a result, it forms new neurological connections that trigger healthy thoughts by increasing thinking flexibility.
Before the doctor administers the drug, they must first screen the woman. The clinician will evaluate the patient’s medical history and answer any queries they may have. Once the specialist confirms that the patient is suitable for the treatment, they start the treatment immediately through infusion.
Setting Up the Infusion Pump
Since the infusion may seem intimidating to patients doing the treatment for the first time, an integration specialist will be available to answer any concerns. Once you are ready, the doctor sets you up with noise-cancellation headphones and eye masks. In some cases, the specialist may play some music for better relaxation.
Infusion
Within no time after the clinician activates the infusion pump, you should immediately experience ketamine’s side effects. You will experience some lightheadedness, a sense of heaviness, and euphoria. Remember, since women have different bodies, some may experience stronger side effects than others.
Luckily, that is nothing to be worried about. Experiencing these side effects can be confusing, so you may decide to convince a doctor to stay with you through the process.
Post-Infusion Stage
After you are done with the treatment, the effects of the drug should wear off after 40 minutes. However, the staff will be observing you during this period. Once the side effects disappear, a specialist will help you process the treatment you just received.
It is then up to you to decide whether you are good enough to leave. However, the specialists will discourage you from driving back home due to the drug’s presence in your system. It is best to call a spouse or friend to pick you up.
Resting
Once you are home, you do not need to do anything too mentally straining. Your doctors will advise you to rest within 24 hours before returning to normal duties.
Postpartum depression can be serious if you do not immediately address it. Like other forms of depression, it can lead to suicide. Thankfully, ketamine solves this problem by altering certain parts of the brain to reduce such negative emotions.
Normally, people consider this drug a last resort when all other methods of managing postpartum depression fail. Therefore, it is not compulsory to rely on this drug, but it is very effective, nonetheless. If a woman close to you ever gets the condition, you know which treatment to consider.