Finding a next step for depression starts with being heard. Pacific Pain & Wellness Group can help you explore whether ketamine infusions fit your treatment history and goals.
Explore a next step when depression has not improved enough
When depression continues despite treatment, considering another option can feel like a lot to take on. You deserve a conversation that makes room for what you have already tried and what you hope could change. Pacific Pain & Wellness Group offers physician-guided ketamine infusion care in Torrance for selected patients whose depression has not responded adequately to previous care.
Your consultation looks at the whole picture: symptoms, previous medication and therapy experiences, physical health, current medicines, other diagnoses, and your goals. You and your clinician can then discuss whether ketamine is an appropriate next step.
Understanding ketamine for depression
Ketamine is FDA-approved as an anesthetic medication. Its use for depression is off-label, meaning it is not FDA-approved for this purpose. Treatment requires individual evaluation, medical supervision, and follow-up. IV ketamine is different from esketamine nasal spray, which has separate FDA-approved depression indications.
For a broader view of the available approaches, explore our depression treatment resource hub. You do not have to work out which treatment fits on your own before contacting us.
How ketamine fits alongside other care
Our team can discuss ketamine alongside TMS therapy, medication management, and psychotherapy. These are different approaches, not interchangeable versions of the same treatment. Your history, preferences, clinical needs, and response to previous care help guide the recommendation.
TMS uses magnetic stimulation, while ketamine is administered as a monitored infusion. Medication management and psychotherapy may also remain part of an individualized plan. The conversation includes how treatment would fit into your life and how progress would be reviewed.
What to expect at an infusion visit
Before treatment, the care team reviews your medical and psychiatric history, medications, and safety considerations, and explains preparation and recovery instructions. Ketamine is given through an IV in a clinical setting, with monitoring during the infusion and afterward.
Possible effects include nausea, drowsiness, blood pressure changes, and feeling detached from your surroundings. Serious risks, including breathing problems and misuse, are also part of the discussion about suitability and monitoring. Your treatment plan and follow-up depend on your needs and response; outcomes vary.
Read what to expect during ketamine infusion therapy for a closer look at consultation, treatment, and recovery. It can help you prepare questions before your first visit.
Support for concerns that overlap
Depression can overlap with anxiety, sleep difficulties, trauma symptoms, and chronic pain. Our combined pain management and mental health services allow those concerns to be considered together. Your clinician can discuss whether ketamine or a different approach should take priority.
If pain is your main concern, start with ketamine infusions for chronic pain. You can also explore our anxiety resources, chronic pain resources, and ketamine resource hub.
Why choose Pacific Pain & Wellness Group?
We combine an individualized mental health evaluation with a broader view of physical health and everyday life. Our integrative approach considers the person as a whole, with clinical guidance and support throughout treatment rather than a one-size-fits-all recommendation.
Our Torrance office welcomes patients from Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach, and the wider South Bay. The office can confirm where your consultation will take place and discuss scheduling.
You can begin with a question
Reaching out does not commit you to ketamine treatment. It starts a conversation about what may be appropriate for you. New patients can request an appointment online; existing patients should call the office to schedule. An online request is not a confirmed appointment.