MIDDLEBURG HEIGHTS, Ohio — More than 20% of the population struggles with mental health.
In recent findings from Johns Hopkins University, certain medications do not work on some people.
The university found symptoms can return for up to 33% of people using medications like antidepressants.
The Cleveland Clinic also reports roughly one in 10 Americans takes an antidepressant to help with debilitating symptoms of clinical depression, but for some, the medications just don’t work.
Walking into New Pathways in Middleburg Heights doesn't feel clinical but instead comforting. For many patients after checking in, the next two hours bring them a sense of calmness they’ve longed for all week.
“I had probably been on about 15 medications over the course of my life and I was never truly thriving,” said Stephen Suntala, Executive Director of New Pathways Ketamine Clinic.
Suntala knows that feeling of relief. It’s a feeling and treatment method he’s made his mission to make accessible for others.
“I suffer from bi-polar disorder, which is a genetic disorder I’ve had since I was a teenager,” Suntala said. “Really ketamine treatments were the first thing that ever gave me significant relief.”
The drug ketamine has become sensationalized over the years despite its use in medical practice for decades.
When used recreationally, it gives users a hallucinogenic high–often resulting in blackout.
University Hospital toxicologist and emergency medicine physician Dr. Ryan Marino said ketamine overdoses aren’t common, but death following ketamine can occur from other injuries during a blackout state.
For example, it’s almost been a year since popular 90’s actor Mathew Perry died from drowning with ketamine in his system.
“I think the difference in risk is, it’s not the ketamine that killed him,” said Marino. “It's the fact that using it in an unmonitored environment is just very unsafe.”
When administered by a medical professional in a safe environment, studies have shown ketamine compound medicines can be useful in treating depression, suicidal ideation, and PTSD. Suntala said the treatment is growing so much in popularity that he sees around 20 patients a day.
“The standard is to do twice a week until there’s a relief of symptoms and then they may do some maintenance treatment to maintain the symptom relief,” Suntala said.
Ketamine shows many there's life beyond their diagnosis.
“If antidepressants didn’t work for you, you shouldn't be discouraged, there's a lot of other options,” Suntala said.
When you get the treatment done, it’s relaxing, and patients almost go into a daydream-like trance.
Once a round is completed, an individual will be a little out of it, so they need a driver or ride-sharing service to take them home afterward.
If seeking ketamine infusion treatment, a patient has to prove and show that they've been on two or more medications for some time.
While it’s legal for doctors to prescribe ketamine, the FDA hasn’t approved ketamine infusions for mental health treatment.
This means individual practitioners develop their treatment protocol.
Spravato, a nasal spray that is made from the same compound of ketamine, is FDA-approved for mental health treatment.
Both Spravato and ketamine infusions are offered at New Pathways.
Spravato is oftentimes covered by insurance, but ketamine-infusion depends on the carrier. However, it can be paid for out of pocket.
