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Session guide · IM ketamine

What to Expect at Your First IM Ketamine Session

IM ketamine is a shot into a muscle, given in a clinic. It is not an IV drip. Staff stay with you and monitor you, then you rest before you go home.

This is the general shape of a session, not your clinic’s protocol and not medical advice. Every clinic does things a little differently, so ask your clinic how they work.

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What to expect

Before, during, and after

01

Before

  • You meet a clinician first. They review your history and talk through whether IM ketamine is a fit.
  • Many clinics ask you to skip solid food for a few hours beforehand, which lowers the chance of nausea. Your clinic will give you their rule.[1]
  • Comfortable clothes, an eye mask, and headphones can help you settle. Some clinics provide these.[1]
  • Arrange a ride home. You should not drive yourself afterward.
  • Feeling nervous is normal. Tell the staff. It helps them take care of you.
02

During

  • The medicine is given as a shot into a muscle.
  • Effects tend to come on fast, often within about five minutes.[1]
  • Staff stay with you and monitor you. You can speak up or ask staff for help at any time.
  • Nausea, feeling unsteady, and feeling detached are common. They pass as the medicine wears off, and nausea can be treated.[1]
03

After

  • You rest at the clinic until you feel ready to leave.
  • Tiredness on the day is common. Most people feel much clearer by the next morning.[1]
  • Someone else drives you home, and no driving until the next day.
  • Ketamine is FDA-approved as an anesthetic. Using it for mental health is off-label, and your clinician should explain what that means.[2]
  • Directories sometimes group IM with IV because both are in-clinic ketamine. They are different visits, so ask your clinic which one you are booking.
Sources
  1. Psychedelic Beacon. What to expect during a ketamine infusion (patient guide with its own sources).
  2. FDA. Compounding risk alert on potential risks of compounded ketamine. October 10, 2023.
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