Does Ketamine Therapy Affect Weight or Appetite? A Professional Guide for Patients

When using ketamineto treat depression or anxiety that doesn’t respond to other treatments, it’s normal to ask about the side effects. If you’ve gained or lost weight while taking traditional antidepressants, you might be worried about how this treatment will affect your body.

Fortunately, ketamine treatments don’t affect weight. Clinical experience and research suggest that ketamine does not often cause big changes in weight, weight loss, or appetite, unlike many SSRIs. This guide is meant to be informative so you can feel more confident discussing this with your provider. Never forget to talk to a qualified medical professional about your specific health needs.

What Is Ketamine Therapy and How Does It Work?

In the medical field, ketamine is a well-known anesthetic. It is often used in the operating room and in emergencies. But recently, the medical community has been paying more attention to it because it is being used to treat mental health conditions that don’t respond to other treatments.

Ketamine therapy is giving a new hope to people with depression and other mood disorders that haven’t worked with traditional medications. This is because it works at lower doses than those used in the anesthetic process.

Common Forms of Ketamine Treatment

There are several ways ketamine is administered for mental health support. The most widely recognized forms include:

There are many ways to give ketamine to help with mental health. The ones that most people know about are:

• IV Ketamine Infusions: This is the process by which ketamine is given to the blood in a clinic setting with supervision. Most of the time, the sessions lastbetween 40 and 60 minutes, and they are usually scheduled as a series of treatments to get the best results.
• Intranasal Esketamine (Spravato®): It is a nasal spray that the FDA has approved and should be used with an oral antidepressant. Because it is so strong, it should be taken by the person themselves under the supervision of a healthcare professional in a licensed facility.
• Oral and Sublingual: Scientists are looking into oral pills and sublingual (under the tongue) preparations to see how well they work and how safe they are, even though they aren’t as well-known.

How Ketamine Works in the Brain

What sets ketamine apart from regular antidepressants? The answer is its speed and how it works.

Most traditional antidepressants work by affecting neurotransmitters like serotonin. It can take weeks for these to build up in your body and make you feel better. However, ketamine works quickly on the glutamate pathways, which are the brain’s main excitatory system. This process works by basically rewiring neural connections, which can quickly change a person’s mood and make their symptoms go away in a few hours or days instead of weeks.

Ketamine and Weight Side Effects

Because of its unique mechanism, ketamine is also not likely to have the same side effects as older drugs. Patients may ask a lot of questions, but weight gain is one of the most common ones. Unlike many traditional antidepressants, ketamine does not directly affect the systems that regulate hunger hormones or metabolism, resulting in less frequent significant changes in weight or appetite.

Why Weight and Appetite Concerns Matter in Mental Health Treatment

Mental health issues like depression and anxiety often get in the way of eating. Some people stop eating altogether, while others turn to food for comfort. When used with other common medications like SSRIs or SNRIs, which tend to make people gain weight, these changes can be too much to handle.

If you’re thinking about trying something else, you might be wondering, “Does ketamine make you gain weight?”

No, the short answer is no. For most patients, ketamine treatment does not affect their weight. We will talk about why this type of treatment is not like regular antidepressants.

Is Ketamine Weight Neutral?

Clinical evidence and patient data indicate that ketamine treatment does not result in significant weight changes. Most oral antidepressants either slow down the metabolism or make you want more of them. Ketamine works differently.

Short-term effects:

• Temporary decrease of appetite: Some patients may experience temporary nausea or dissociation as a side effect of treatment, which can lead to a loss of appetite.
• Transient metabolic changes: In rare instances, a temporary surge in energy may occur immediately following treatment, resulting in minor fluctuations.

Long-term effects:

• No increase in weight: Researchers have not found a strong link between long-term ketamine infusion therapy and weight gain.
• Normalize appetite: Most patients find that their appetite returns to normal over the course of treatment.

It applies to both IV ketamine infusions and esketamine (Spravato), which is FDA-approved. These are popular with patients who are worried about the metabolic side effects of standard medications.

Indirect Benefits: Better Mood, Better Habits

Ketamine doesn’t change your metabolism directly, but it does help you lose weight because it makes you feel better mentally. People with depression usually have poor eating habits, either by not eating at all or by eating for emotional reasons.

Most patients notice that their depressive symptoms get better with ketamine therapy.

• Restored appetite: When you were feeling down, you probably lost your appetite. But when you feel better, your appetite usually comes back.
• Eating less out of stress: When stress and anxiety levels go down, the urge to calm down with food may also go down.

By doing this, ketamine helps patients get back to their healthy baseline weight without having to take drugs because of the side effects, but because of how it makes them feel mentally.

What Does Current Research Tell Us?

Recent clinical studies give some good news to people who are worried about metabolic side effects: ketamine and esketamine don’t tend to cause weight gain like other antidepressants (like SSRIs and SNRIs).

Even though long-term data is still being collected, research results support the idea that ketamine therapy doesn’t have a big effect on weight and appetite in most patients. People who want to feel better but don’t want to gain or lose weight from other drugs may find it an appealing option.

Factors Influencing Your Experience

The overall view is positive, but the results for each person may be different. It might change how you feel because of:

• Dosage and Frequency: How often you undergo sessions.
• Medical History: Metabolic disorders or a diet that occurred before.
• Lifestyle/Medication: What you eat, how you exercise, and any other medications you are taking.
• Demographics: The person’s age, gender, and initial symptoms.

Tips for Managing Health During Treatment

You might want to try the following tips to help you get better and keep track of changes in your health:

• Keep an eye on your trends: A simple journal of how hungry and tired you are to spot patterns early on.
• Take care of your nutrition and hydration: Instead of following strict diets, find a way to eat whole foods and drink water to nourish your body.
• Manage Nausea: If you feel sick (a side effect), have a light snack to help you feel better or talk to your doctor about options for anti-nausea.
• Practice Self-Care: Incorporate gentle movement and mindfulness to support your overall well-being.

We want you to be safe. If you notice any sudden changes in your weight or appetite, call your provider right away. One of the best things about ketamine therapy is that you get care tailored to your needs. Your team can look over your protocol and make any changes that will make you feel better.

If you’re thinking about getting treatment but are worried about side effects, we’re here to help. Contact us to set up a meeting to see if this mental health treatment is right for you.

Key Takeaways

In short, ketamine therapy doesn’t usually make you lose weight or change your appetite like other medications. It often helps you get back to eating better by making you feel better.

Picking the right path for your mental health should give you strength, not stress. We at Premier Mental Health Healing Pathways offer kind, professional help. Call us today to talk about your unique path to healing.

FAQs

Does ketamine make you gain weight like antidepressants?

No, ketamine doesn’t usually make people gain weight as many other antidepressants do. Because of how it works, it doesn’t have the same metabolic or appetite-increasing effects as SSRIs or SNRIs.

Can ketamine therapy help you lose weight?

It is rare for ketamine to cause weight loss on its own. Most of the time, changes are small and temporary, and they are more likely to be caused by short-term side effects than by the treatment itself.

Does esketamine (Spravato) have different effects on appetite?

Esketamine follows the same general pattern—minimal direct impact on appetite or weight, based on clinical trial data and real-world use.

What should I do if I notice appetite changes during treatment?

Track it gently and discuss with your provider promptly. They can help determine if it’s related to treatment, mood shifts, or something else.