Sessions vary in how they feel, and a surprising amount of that variation comes from things settled before you arrive.
Not from willpower during the session, which does not work the way people expect.
To prepare for ketamine treatment, sort the practical things well in advance, eat and drink according to your clinic’s instructions, arrange a ride, and clear the rest of the day. The logistics matter since unfinished ones intrude on the session.
How to Prepare for Ketamine Treatment
The essentials are these. Follow your clinic’s specific instructions on eating and drinking beforehand, since these vary by route. Arrange someone to drive you home, as you cannot drive afterward. Clear your schedule for the rest of the day rather than planning to return to work. Take your regular medications as prescribed except where told otherwise. Bring headphones and familiar music. Arrive early enough not to be rushed. Tell the clinician about any anxiety before the session rather than after.
Two of those are worth emphasizing.
The ride and the cleared afternoon are the ones people try to work around, and they are the two that most reliably cause problems.
The Week Before
Confirm the fasting instructions. They differ by route and by clinic. Intravenous and intramuscular routes usually require several hours without food. Do not assume.
Arrange your ride. For every appointment, not just the first. A course means repeated favors, so plan it properly rather than session by session.
Book the time off. Half a day, at minimum. Treating it as a lunchtime appointment does not work.
Prepare your medication list, covered in our post on ketamine and your medications.
Tell your therapist, if you have one. Scheduling a session in the days after is worth considering, covered in our post on integration.
Make a playlist. Instrumental, familiar, an hour long. Do this early rather than in the waiting room.
Ask any questions you are holding. Anxiety about the unknown affects the session directly, and reading our post on dissociation is genuine preparation.
The Day Before
Sleep properly. Tiredness makes the experience harder to settle into.
Avoid alcohol. It affects sedation and it disrupts sleep.
Avoid cannabis in the day or two beforehand, and tell your clinician if you use it regularly.
Eat normally, then follow fasting instructions from the specified time.
Confirm your ride rather than assuming.
Decide what you are wearing. Comfortable, layered, nothing tight. Temperature perception shifts and people frequently feel cold.
Charge your headphones.Sort anything nagging at you. An unanswered email or an unresolved argument has a way of surfacing during a session. Where you can close something off, do.
The Morning Of
Follow the fasting instructions exactly. If you have eaten when you should not have, say so. The session may be rescheduled, which is better than proceeding with a vomiting risk when sedated.
Take your regular medication as prescribed except where in particular told otherwise. Do not skip blood pressure medication.Use the bathroom before the session starts.Arrive early. Rushing in raises your heart rate and your anxiety, and both carry into the session.
Say how you are feeling. Nervous, low, having a bad week. It affects how the session is set up.
Silence your phone and put it away.
Do not plan anything for afterward. Not a meeting, not the shops. Home and rest.
Our post on what to expect at your first session covers the appointment itself.
What to Bring
Bring
Why
A driver
Non-negotiable. You cannot drive afterward
Headphones
Over-ear are better than earbuds
A playlist
Instrumental and familiar
An eye mask
Blocking light deepens the experience and reduces distraction
Layers
People often feel cold
Water
For afterward
Your medication list
Especially at the first appointment
A light snack
For after, once cleared to eat
Lip balm
Dry mouth is common
A notebook
For anything you want to record afterward
Leave behind anything you would worry about losing, and anything you might feel compelled to check.
Ask what the clinic provides. Many supply eye masks, blankets and music.
Setting an Intention
Optional, and many people find it useful.
An intention is not a goal. “I want to be cured” sets up failure. Something closer to “I am open to seeing this differently” or “I want to be kinder to myself” gives the session a direction without a pass mark.
Some people hold a question rather than a statement. Some hold a single word.
It is not a task. If nothing coherent happens during the session, that is completely normal and says nothing about whether treatment will work.
Writing it down beforehand helps. Reading it in the waiting room takes ten seconds.
Whether intention affects outcome is not established. What is reasonably clear is that arriving prepared and unhurried makes for an easier session than arriving rushed and anxious, and that alone is worth the effort.
FAQs About Preparing for Ketamine Treatment
Can I eat before ketamine treatment? Follow your clinic’s specific instructions, since they vary by route. Intravenous and intramuscular routes usually require several hours without food, to reduce nausea and the risk of vomiting when sedated. If you have eaten when you should not have, tell them rather than staying quiet.
Can I drive myself home after ketamine? No. You cannot drive for the rest of the day after most routes, and not until the next day after a full night of sleep with Spravato. Arrange a driver for every appointment before you book the course.
Should I take my regular medication before a session? Take everything as prescribed except where in particular instructed otherwise, and do not skip blood pressure medication. Some people assume they should hold doses before a procedure. Ask rather than guessing, and tell the clinic everything you take.
What should I wear? Comfortable and layered. Nothing tight around the arm, since blood pressure will be monitored. Temperature perception shifts during a session and feeling cold is common, so a jumper or a blanket helps.
Do I need to set an intention? It is optional and many people find it helpful. Keep it open rather than goal-shaped, something like being open to a different perspective rather than expecting a specific result. Nothing coherent happening during a session is normal and does not predict the outcome.
Ask What to Expect
Fasting rules, session length and what the clinic provides all vary. Ask before your first appointment rather than on the day.
Call (770) 817-9200 or see our ketamine therapy page.
Atlanta Ketamine Clinic, 5755 North Point Parkway Suite 256, Alpharetta, GA 30022.
Reviewed by Angelo Sambunaris, M.D., Atlanta Ketamine Clinic.This article is general information, not medical advice. If you are having thoughts of suicide or self-harm, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, available 24 hours a day.
