Can IV or IM Ketamine Help with OCD? Here’s What You Should Know
- UJALA FAWAD
- Oct 6
- 5 min read
If you live with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), you probably know how exhausting it can be. Intrusive thoughts, constant worry, endless checking or repeating — it can feel like your brain is stuck on “loop.”
For some people, traditional treatments like medication (SSRIs) and therapy (CBT/ERP) help a lot. But for others, symptoms don’t improve enough — or stop responding altogether.
That’s where a treatment called ketamine is starting to offer new hope.
At Suburban Psychiatric Specialists in Norwood, MA, we offer IV and IM ketamine and Spravato® treatments for OCD and depression.
🌱 What Is Ketamine?
Ketamine has been used safely in hospitals for decades as an anesthesia medication during surgery. But in much smaller doses, it’s been found to have powerful effects on mood and thought patterns — often helping people feel better within hours instead of weeks.
Doctors now use low-dose ketamine, given through a vein (IV) or a muscle injection (IM), to help people with depression, anxiety, PTSD, and increasingly, OCD.
It’s important to know that ketamine for OCD is still considered “off-label”, meaning the FDA hasn’t formally approved it for that purpose. However, studies and real-world results are promising.
💡 How Might Ketamine Help OCD?
People with OCD often describe their mind as “stuck” — looping through the same thoughts or rituals over and over. Ketamine may help “reset” this cycle.
Here’s how it’s thought to work:
It acts quickly.Ketamine changes certain brain chemicals (especially glutamate) that help nerve cells communicate. These changes happen within hours.
It helps the brain make new connections.Think of it like a “software update” for the brain — ketamine helps create new pathways, allowing more flexible, healthy thought patterns.
It quiets obsessive thoughts.Many patients describe a feeling of mental quiet, or like their OCD thoughts lose their grip for a time.
It may boost therapy results.Doing therapy (like exposure and response prevention) during or after ketamine treatments can make it easier to practice new, healthier thought patterns.
💉 IV vs. IM Ketamine — What’s the Difference?
Type | How It’s Given | What It Feels Like | Why Use It |
IV Ketamine | Given through an IV line over about 40 minutes | Effects build gradually and wear off after about an hour | Most researched method; allows precise control of dose |
IM Ketamine | A small injection into the arm or thigh muscle | Slightly quicker onset and shorter session | Simple, convenient, and effective for some patients |
Both types are done in a controlled medical setting, with continuous monitoring of your comfort, blood pressure, and heart rate.
⚖️ Ketamine Doses: Psychiatric vs. Anesthetic
One of the most common questions patients ask is:“If ketamine is an anesthetic, will it put me to sleep?”
The answer is no — the doses used for mental health are much, much lower than those used for anesthesia.
Use | Typical Dose (per kg of body weight) | Purpose |
Surgical anesthesia | ~2.0 mg/kg or higher (IV) | Induces full anesthesia — patient is unconscious |
Depression, OCD, PTSD, chronic pain | ~0.3–0.7 mg/kg (IV or IM) | Sub-anesthetic — patient is awake, relaxed, may feel dreamlike |
Spravato® nasal spray (esketamine) | Fixed dose (56–84 mg total) | For depression; delivered intranasally in clinic |
So, while anesthesia doses completely sedate you, psychiatric doses are much gentler. You remain awake, alert, and responsive, though you may feel calm, detached, or dreamlike for a short period.
Your provider tailors the exact dose to your medical history, body weight, and how you respond to previous sessions.
🌈 What Patients Have Said
People who’ve received ketamine for OCD (in research studies) have shared comments like:
“I tried to have OCD thoughts, but I couldn’t.”“It feels like my brain finally took a breath.”“The quiet in my head was something I hadn’t felt in years.”
🌤️ The Pros and Cons
Potential Benefits
May bring rapid relief, sometimes within hours
Can “loosen” obsessive thought patterns
May enhance the benefits of therapy
Offers new hope for people who haven’t improved with standard treatments
Potential Risks
Temporary dissociation (feeling detached or dreamy)
Brief changes in blood pressure or heart rate
Mild nausea, dizziness, or fatigue
Rarely, bladder irritation or mood changes
Long term improvement for OCD has not been studied. We currently think of it as a "jump start" for therapeutic interventions like Exposure and Response Prevention
Each treatment is supervised by medical professionals who make sure you are safe, comfortable, and supported throughout.
💬 Frequently Asked Questions
❓ Is ketamine approved for OCD? Not yet. Ketamine is FDA-approved for anesthesia and for depression (as Spravato®). For OCD, it’s still being researched, but doctors may use it “off-label” if appropriate.
❓ How long do the benefits last? Results vary. Some people feel better for a few days, while others may notice lasting improvement for a week or more.
❓ Will I be "out" during treatment? No. The dose used for OCD or depression is much smaller than anesthesia doses. You will know where you are and able to communicate.
❓ Will I feel “high”? Some people describe mild changes in perception — colors may seem brighter or time may feel different — but most describe the experience as calm and relaxing.
❓ How many sessions will I need? Some start with a short series (e.g., 6 treatments over 3 weeks) and then continue with maintenance sessions as needed. The exact plan is personalized.
❓ Is it safe? When done under medical supervision in a clinic, ketamine is considered safe. It’s not addictive when used responsibly and monitored carefully.
❓ Will insurance cover it? Most insurance plans do not cover IV or IM ketamine for OCD, since it’s off-label. Some patients use HSA or FSA accounts to help with costs.
🧠 Why It’s Still Considered Experimental
Researchers are still learning:
How to make the benefits last longer
What the ideal dosing schedule should be
Which patients are most likely to respond
How best to combine ketamine with therapy
That’s why ketamine should only be used in a safe, medical setting — not purchased or used at home.
❤️ Finding Hope Again
If you’ve tried therapy and medications and still feel trapped by OCD, you’re not alone — and you’re not out of options.
Ketamine won’t “erase” OCD, but it might help quiet the noise long enough for you to reconnect with life and healing in new ways.
At Suburban Psychiatric Specialists, our team provides comprehensive evaluations to determine if treatments like Spravato® or ketamine therapy could be appropriate for you.We believe in blending evidence-based medicine with compassionate, individualized care — because every mind deserves a chance to heal.
📍 Located in Norwood, MA📞 Call 508-206-8578 or visit www.sps.healthcare to learn more.
📚 References
Rodriguez CI et al. Randomized Controlled Crossover Trial of Ketamine in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Am J Psychiatry. 2013.
Beaglehole A et al. Intramuscular Ketamine for OCD: Dose-Dependent Efficacy. J Psychopharmacol. 2025.
Bloch MH et al. Effects of Ketamine in Treatment-Refractory OCD. Yale School of Medicine, 2022.
Rodriguez CI et al. Enhancing Exposure Therapy with Ketamine. Transl Psychiatry. 2021.
FDA Advisory: Potential Risks Associated with Compounded Ketamine Products. fda.gov
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