During patients' intake sessions with Journey Clinical Prescribers, we will conduct a thorough assessment including detailed history of all current medications they're taking.
If the client is eligible for a Ketamine prescription, the Prescriber will provide any specific individualized instructions to the patient regarding their current medications. Some medications may be okay to continue taking, while some may need to be held before or after their dosing sessions.
Instructions will also be emailed to the patient and their member therapist once the prescription is written so that you can refer back to each client's personalized instructions as well as vital sign parameters prior to their KAP session.
Patients should always discuss any questions they have about their medication regimen with our medical team. For reference on general guidelines, please see below.
Some common medications that are okay to continue throughout KAP are:
- SSRI's (Celexa, Lexapro, Prozac, Paxil, Pexeva, Zoloft)
- Lamictal
- Wellbutrin
- Antibiotics
- Most vitamins and most supplements
In order to maximize the effects of KAP and prevent adverse events, certain medications should be temporarily held or stopped during KAP.
Some general common medication instructions include:
-ADHD meds: Hold the day before and day of KAP if possible
-Cyclobenzaprine and other muscle relaxants: Hold the day of KAP
-Benzodiazepines: (such as Valium, Xanax, Klonopin, Ativan) Generally recommend to hold these at least 24 hrs and if possible 72hrs prior to KAP *It’s okay to continue to take if needed or are concerned for withdrawal
-Antihistamines: (such as Diphenhydramine/Benadryl, Cetirizine/Zyrtec, Loratadine/Claritin) Hold the day of KAP if possible
-Opioids: Hold day of KAP if possible
-Other controlled substances: Hold day of KAP
-Alcohol or THC: Hold at least 48hrs prior to KAP
-Cold/Decongestant or Over-the-Counter Pain Medications (such as Sudafed, Aleve, Advil and Mucinex) - Can continue taking as they're not contraindicated to KAP, but it may be less of an impactful session if someone is sick or uncomfortable, and they may also experience additional sedation from some of these medications. We recommend rescheduling dosing sessions if patients are sick so that they can focus on recovering and get the most out of their KAP session when they're feeling better.