The most common thing patients tell us before their first ketamine therapy infusion is that they wish someone had explained exactly what to do to prepare. At Minnesota Ketamine & Wellness Institute, we have worked with enough patients through their first treatment series to know that preparation is not a formality — it is part of the treatment itself. This guide covers everything from the intake assessment through the final infusion of the initial series, so you arrive knowing what to do and what to expect at every stage.
Before You Begin: The Intake Assessment
Every treatment course at our clinic starts with a thorough intake assessment. This appointment runs approximately one and a half to two hours and covers your full health and psychiatric history, a review of current and past medications, an explanation of how ketamine works and what the infusion experience involves, and a genuine opportunity to ask questions before anything else happens.
The medication review is clinically significant, not administrative. Benzodiazepines — a class of medications that includes Klonopin, Xanax, and Ativan — can interfere with ketamine’s effectiveness when used daily. Lamictal at doses above 100mg per day may similarly reduce efficacy. Certain medical conditions, including uncontrolled high blood pressure, cardiac dysrhythmias, and heart failure, are contraindications for ketamine therapy. Pregnancy is also a contraindication. We assess all of these factors carefully before proceeding, and we use caution with patients who have glaucoma, as there may be a transient increase in intraocular pressure during infusions.
None of this means that a complex medication history disqualifies a patient from treatment — it means we need the complete picture before determining whether and how to proceed. Being thorough at the intake stage protects you and makes the treatment more likely to work. You can review our frequently asked questions for additional details on what to expect before your first appointment.
Preparing for Each Infusion
A few consistent preparation practices make a meaningful difference across the full series. We ask that you avoid eating for approximately four hours before each appointment — clear liquids are acceptable with no restriction. Adequate hydration matters: we encourage patients to drink extra water in the 24 hours before each session. Arriving well-hydrated and having eaten a moderate meal earlier in the day tends to make the physical experience of the infusion more comfortable.
Bring what helps you settle. Our clinic provides reclining chairs, weighted blankets, white noise machines, disposable eye masks, earplugs, and noise-canceling headphones. Many patients also bring their own blanket if they run cold, sunglasses for light sensitivity, and a personal device loaded with music or guided meditation. The music question deserves a specific note: we recommend ambient, meditative, or spa-style audio rather than familiar playlists with lyrics or emotional associations. The goal is sound that creates a neutral, open mental environment — not music that anchors your mind to specific memories or feelings from your everyday life.
A ride home must be arranged before every session. Driving is not permitted for twelve to twenty-four hours after each infusion, without exception. Taxi, rideshare, and medical transport services are all acceptable options if a personal driver is unavailable, but the arrangement needs to be confirmed in advance — not improvised after the session ends.
What Happens During the Infusion
Once you are settled, an IV line is placed, monitoring equipment is applied, and your baseline vital signs are taken. The infusion runs for 40 minutes, during which our clinical team monitors your vital signs continuously and checks in on your comfort. You will not be left alone during the session.
The sensations most patients notice include cool extremities, heightened sensitivity to light and sound, and a floating or dissociative feeling — a sense of being partially separated from your immediate physical surroundings. The degree of dissociation varies by individual and tends to deepen as the series progresses. This is not a sign that something has gone wrong; it is a direct expression of how ketamine modulates the glutamate system, specifically by blocking NMDA receptors — N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors that regulate synaptic plasticity and neural communication. Research from the National Institutes of Health documents that side effects from a single antidepressant-dose IV ketamine infusion are mild and brief, and our clinical protocols are structured to keep the experience as safe and comfortable as possible.
After the 40-minute infusion, you will spend approximately 30 minutes in recovery before being discharged. Most patients feel fully like themselves by the following morning.
Understanding the Treatment Arc
The initial series is six infusions administered over two to three weeks. Research from the American Journal of Psychiatry supports both the single-series structure and the value of maintenance infusions that follow — showing that repeated ketamine sessions produce cumulative benefits and that maintenance infusions extend remission periods meaningfully. Understanding this arc matters because results during the initial series are not always linear. Some patients notice significant shifts early; others respond more gradually. Results vary by individual, and the full picture of how you have responded typically becomes clearest by the end of the sixth infusion.
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor — BDNF — is a protein essential for neuron growth and long-term mood regulation, and research shows ketamine increases BDNF levels (National Institutes of Health). This is one of the biological mechanisms that may help explain why the cumulative series produces more lasting change than a single session: the repeated promotion of BDNF and neuroplasticity builds a structural foundation that a one-time infusion cannot establish on its own.
After the initial series, most patients transition to a maintenance schedule — typically one infusion every two to eight weeks — at our reduced maintenance rate of $400 per infusion. That transition is discussed collaboratively with your provider based on your individual response.
Combining Infusions with Integration Therapy
Patients who want to get the most from their treatment often find that adding preparation and integration psychotherapy sessions alongside the infusion series deepens and extends the benefit. At our clinic, these sessions are offered separately from infusions — not simultaneously — with our licensed therapists, who hold specific credentials in trauma-informed care and psychedelic-assisted therapy. Integration sessions are available in person on Tuesdays and Thursdays following infusion appointments.
This is not a requirement. Infusions can be pursued without therapy. But if your conditions involve significant trauma, persistent depression, or patterns that you have had difficulty shifting through prior treatment, the integration component is worth discussing with your provider at intake.
Addressing the Fear Barrier
For many patients, the most significant obstacle to starting treatment is not logistical — it is the fear of an unfamiliar experience. The dissociative quality of ketamine infusions is genuinely unlike anything most patients have encountered in prior medical care, and that unfamiliarity can generate anxiety even in people who have decided intellectually that the treatment makes sense for them.
The preparation that happens at the intake appointment is designed specifically for this. By the time your first IV is placed, you will have heard from your provider exactly what the sensations are, why they occur, how to orient yourself if the experience becomes intense, and what the team around you will be doing throughout. That preparation does not eliminate the unfamiliarity — but it changes its quality from threatening to expected. Most patients find the second infusion significantly more manageable than the first, simply because they have a reference point.
Addressing the Cost Barrier
Ketamine infusion therapy is an out-of-pocket expense for most patients — insurance coverage is limited because the treatment is used off-label for psychiatric conditions. The initial series of six infusions is $500 per infusion, for a total of $3,000. Maintenance infusions are $400 per session. Most HSA and FSA accounts can be used as a form of payment, which provides a tax-advantaged option for many patients. We accept cash, credit and debit cards, and checks made out to MKW-Institute.
A $250 service discount on ketamine therapy is available for military personnel, law enforcement officers, and front-line workers — mention your service at the initial phone consultation or assessment appointment and we will apply it. Payment is made on a per-session basis; the full series does not need to be paid in advance.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I do if I feel anxious before my first infusion? Tell us. The provider orientation at your intake appointment is specifically designed to address anxiety about the experience, and we take those concerns seriously rather than moving past them quickly. Many patients who arrive anxious find that the preparation conversation meaningfully changes how they feel before the IV is placed. If anxiety remains significant, discuss it with your provider — the clinical team has experience supporting patients through this.
Can I bring someone with me to my appointments? You can bring someone to accompany you to the clinic, but they will not be present in the infusion room during the session. The infusion environment is kept calm and controlled for therapeutic reasons, and having additional people in the room changes that dynamic in ways that do not serve the patient. Your support person is welcome to wait and to drive you home.
How do I know if ketamine therapy is working? Changes can be subtle at first — a slight shift in mood quality, improved sleep, or a sense of being slightly less burdened — before more significant improvements become apparent. Because results build cumulatively across the series, we encourage patients not to judge the treatment solely on the basis of the first one or two sessions. Your provider will check in on your response throughout the series, and those conversations are part of how the treatment plan is adjusted if needed.
What if I’m already in therapy with another provider? That is not a barrier to treatment at our clinic. Many patients continue working with their existing therapist or psychiatrist alongside ketamine infusion therapy. We recommend informing your current providers that you are pursuing ketamine treatment, as coordination of care — particularly around medications — is in your best interest.
Is there anything I should avoid doing after an infusion? Driving is prohibited for twelve to twenty-four hours after each session. Beyond that, we recommend avoiding alcohol and significant decision-making on infusion days. Most patients find that a quiet afternoon at home following a session, rather than returning immediately to demanding activities, makes the recovery more comfortable and the experience more integrative.
Key Takeaways
- Thorough preparation — including the medication review and provider orientation at intake — is a clinical component of treatment, not an administrative step.
- The infusion experience involves temporary sensations including dissociation and light sensitivity that are direct expressions of how ketamine works neurologically; results vary by individual.
- The six-infusion initial series builds cumulative benefit over two to three weeks; most patients transition to maintenance infusions afterward at $400 per session.
- Fear of the unfamiliar experience and out-of-pocket cost are the two most common barriers to starting — both are addressed directly at intake and through our pricing and payment structure.
- Integration psychotherapy is available as a separate, optional complement to infusion therapy for patients whose conditions would benefit from combined care.
Starting ketamine therapy is a meaningful decision, and the preparation you do before your first infusion is part of what makes the treatment work. At Minnesota Ketamine & Wellness Institute, our team is with you from the intake assessment through every session and into the maintenance phase that follows. Call us at 612-502-2800 or complete the consultation form on our website to take the first step toward finding out whether ketamine therapy is the right fit for you.
References
- National Institutes of Health. Side effects mild, brief following single antidepressant dose of intravenous ketamine. https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/side-effects-mild-brief-single-antidepressant-dose-intravenous-ketamine
- National Institutes of Health. Ketamine increases BDNF. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39684808/
- American Journal of Psychiatry. Single, repeated, and maintenance ketamine infusions for treatment-resistant depression. https://psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/appi.ajp.2018.18070834
Medical Disclaimer: The information in this blog is provided for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Ketamine infusion therapy at Minnesota Ketamine & Wellness Institute is a medical procedure that should only be pursued under the supervision of a licensed provider familiar with your complete medical and psychiatric history. Individual results vary. This content does not address every contraindication or clinical consideration relevant to ketamine therapy — a full evaluation at intake is required before any treatment begins. If you are experiencing a mental health crisis or thoughts of self-harm, please call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or go to your nearest emergency room.