Conditions we treat
Ketamine for Depression: Evidence, Candidacy, and Care in Tampa
Ketamine therapy may be considered for some adults with depression — especially when standard treatments have not helped enough. Here is the honest picture.
Understanding depression and its standard treatments
Depression is more than sadness. It can flatten energy, sleep, appetite, concentration, and the ability to feel pleasure, and it can bring thoughts of self-harm. It is common, it is real, and it is treatable.
Standard treatments — psychotherapy and antidepressant medications — help many people. But some people try one medication after another without adequate relief. When that happens, it is reasonable to ask what else exists, and to ask it carefully.
Where ketamine may fit
Ketamine therapy may be considered for some adults with depression, usually after standard treatments have not helped enough. The preparation used here is compounded and is not FDA-approved for depression or for any other use.
Research suggests ketamine may reduce depressive symptoms in the short term for some people. That is genuinely encouraging — and also limited. Studies are still working out how durable the benefit is, who is most likely to respond, and how treatment should be maintained over time.
What the research actually shows
The modern research era began with small randomized trials — including a frequently cited 2006 study by Zarate and colleagues — in which some participants with hard-to-treat depression showed improvement within days of a single IV infusion. Later work, including a 2013 trial comparing ketamine with an active comparator, added support for short-term benefit in some patients.
Here is what the research does not show: that ketamine works for everyone, that benefits last without follow-up care, or that it should replace antidepressants or therapy. Any clinic that tells you otherwise is ahead of the science.
Safety and candidacy
Ketamine causes temporary effects — dissociation, nausea, dizziness, and changes in blood pressure — that call for monitoring. It is not appropriate for everyone: certain heart conditions, uncontrolled blood pressure, active psychosis, and some substance-use histories may rule it out. The evaluation exists to sort this out honestly.
We also ask directly about thoughts of self-harm during evaluation — not to disqualify you, but to plan care safely. Candor at that stage protects you.
Taking the next step
If you live in the Tampa Bay area and standard depression treatment has not brought enough relief, a consultation is the right starting point. We review your history, talk through what the evidence can and cannot offer, and — with your permission — coordinate with your therapist or psychiatrist. If ketamine therapy is not the right fit, we will say so.
In person or by telehealth
You can be seen both ways. Consultations, planning conversations, and follow-up visits happen in person at our Wesley Chapel clinic or by telehealth — whichever works better for you.
Ketamine itself is always administered in person, at the clinic, with a clinician monitoring you throughout. We do not prescribe ketamine for use at home.
Telehealth visits require you to be physically located in Florida at the time of the visit.
How telehealth works here
- Telehealth is available to patients who are physically located in Florida, and the clinicians providing that care hold active Florida licenses.
- Your location is confirmed at the start of every telehealth visit. If you are not in Florida, the visit does not go ahead.
- Ketamine is never prescribed for you to take at home. It is administered only at our clinic, in person, with a clinician monitoring you throughout — a telehealth visit does not change that.
- You are seen in person before any treatment session, because every session happens at the clinic.
- A telehealth visit never guarantees that treatment will be offered, any more than an in-person evaluation does.
- Telehealth is not for emergencies. If you are in crisis or having thoughts of self-harm, call or text 988, or call 911.
Common questions
No. The ketamine used here is compounded by a licensed outsourcing facility and is not FDA-approved. No compounded medication is FDA-approved for any use, and we say so plainly before anyone starts treatment.
No ethical clinic can promise that. Some people report meaningful improvement, others modest or none. What we can offer is a careful evaluation, honest information about the evidence, and close monitoring if we proceed together.
Not necessarily, and never on your own. Medication decisions are made with the clinical team and, with your permission, your existing prescriber. Do not change or stop any medication before your evaluation.
A compounded preparation of racemic ketamine, made for us by a licensed outsourcing facility. The differences — dosing, supervision, insurance treatment — are worth a real conversation during evaluation.
Call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) or call 911 — this website and its forms are not for emergencies, and they are not monitored for urgent situations.
Sources & further reading
- A randomized trial of an N-methyl-D-aspartate antagonist in treatment-resistant major depression (Zarate et al., 2006) — Archives of General Psychiatry, via PubMed. Accessed 2026-07-23. Early randomized controlled trial; small sample, short follow-up.
- Depression — National Institute of Mental Health. Accessed 2026-07-23.
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline — Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Accessed 2026-07-23.
Links point to external organizations. Clear Ketamine Therapy does not control their content.
Reviewed by Editorial team. Last reviewed 2026-07-23. Educational information only — not medical advice or a substitute for care from your own clinicians.
Keep reading
- Am I a Candidate?Candidacy for ketamine therapy depends on your diagnosis, treatment history, health, and medications. Learn the factors clinicians weigh — and the next step.
- Safety & Side EffectsThe full safety picture: common short-term side effects, who should not receive ketamine, the FDA's compounded-ketamine warning, and our monitoring practices.
- What to ExpectA plain-language walkthrough of the full treatment process at our Wesley Chapel clinic — the evaluation, the sessions themselves, and the follow-up — including the parts that vary from person to person.
- Ketamine Therapy TampaPhysician-supervised ketamine therapy for adults across Tampa, Florida — what it is, who it may help, and how to start. Our clinic is in nearby Wesley Chapel.
Talk with our clinical team
A consultation is a conversation, not a commitment. Ask questions, share what you are comfortable sharing, and learn whether ketamine therapy may be worth considering for you.
Not for emergencies — call or text 988 or 911 if you are in crisis.