If you are considering ketamine for depression, the number of appointments matters. You may need to plan around work, arrange a ride, or understand what the commitment could look like before you begin.

There is no single number of ketamine treatments that works for everyone. An initial course generally involves several appointments rather than one isolated session. The schedule depends on the medication, how it is administered, your medical history, and whether your symptoms improve.

Why treatment usually starts with a series

A first appointment cannot answer every question about how you will respond. An initial series gives your psychiatrist opportunities to assess changes, review side effects, and decide whether continuing makes sense.

In research studies, ketamine treatments have followed schedules such as six infusions over two weeks or twice weekly treatments over 3 weeks. Other clinical protocols space treatments differently. These examples help explain why you may see different numbers online; they do not establish one universal schedule or describe Meah’s individual treatment protocol.

Before agreeing to a course, ask how many appointments are initially recommended, when your progress will be reviewed, and what would lead the clinician to change or stop the plan. A proposed number should come with a reason.

Spravato has a different schedule

Spravato is a prescription esketamine nasal spray. It is related to ketamine but is a distinct medication with its own FDA-approved indications and administration requirements. Ketamine itself is used off-label for depression.

For adults with treatment-resistant depression, Spravato’s labeled schedule begins with twice-weekly treatment during weeks one through four, followed by weekly treatment during weeks five through eight. From week nine onward, if maintenance treatments are needed, treatment may be weekly or every other week, based on response. Continuing care is reassessed along the way.

That schedule should not be applied to every treatment described as “ketamine therapy.” At Meah Modern Psychiatry, patients can explore Spravato or a separate personalized cash-pay ketamine protocol. Your initial intake appointment is the time to clarify which option is being discussed.

What determines whether you need more sessions?

The decision should consider both improvement and the burden of treatment. Feeling less depressed matters, but so do side effects, appointment logistics, and whether the benefit lasts between visits.

Try bringing concrete examples to follow-up appointments. Are you getting through the morning more easily? Answering messages again? Returning to an activity you had stopped? These details give the conversation more substance than “I think I feel a little better.” Your clinician may also use a symptom questionnaire to track changes.

If there is little benefit or side effects are difficult to tolerate, the next step is a reassessment. More appointments are not automatically the right answer.

An initial course and maintenance are separate decisions

Some people who improve need ongoing treatment to help maintain that improvement. Others may move toward a different plan. Maintenance is not a promise that symptoms will stay away, and completing an initial series does not guarantee that treatment is finished.

Ask about both stages before you start, including expected costs and how maintenance decisions are made. You deserve to understand the possible longer-term commitment.

Discuss your options at Meah

If you are exploring ketamine treatment in Colorado Springs, Meah Modern Psychiatry can help you understand the available approaches and whether an evaluation is appropriate. Start with a free 15-minute consultation to ask about the process and next steps.

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