Research is exploring whether ketamine therapy may have a role in the treatment of certain substance use disorders, including alcohol, opioid, and stimulant use disorders.At Ketamine Wellness Florida, adults interested in this emerging area of treatment can begin with an individualized medical evaluation in our Fort Lauderdale clinic.
Substance use disorders affect far more than the substance itself. Craving, learned behavioral patterns, stress, depression, anxiety, trauma, withdrawal, and changes in the brain's reward systems can all influence a person's ability to reduce or stop substance use.
Researchers are investigating whether ketamine's effects on glutamate signaling, neuroplasticity, mood, craving, and learned responses may create a therapeutic window that can support recovery in selected patients.
Early clinical studies have produced encouraging findings in several substance use disorders, but the evidence remains developing. Ketamine is not currently an FDA-approved treatment for addiction, and it should not be presented as a stand-alone cure for substance use disorder.
Alcohol use disorder is one of the most frequently studied substance use disorders in ketamine research. Clinical studies have examined outcomes including alcohol consumption, abstinence, craving, relapse, and the potential value of pairing ketamine with behavioral or psychological treatment.
Researchers have studied ketamine in opioid use disorder and opioid withdrawal, including possible effects on craving and withdrawal symptoms. Current evidence remains limited, and ketamine does not replace established medications such as buprenorphine or methadone when those treatments are indicated.
Small clinical studies have investigated whether ketamine may influence cocaine craving, motivation, and abstinence. Larger studies are still needed.
Research involving cannabis and other substance use disorders is substantially more limited. Treatment decisions should not be generalized from evidence involving another substance.
Depression, anxiety, PTSD, and substance use can overlap. An individualized evaluation should consider these conditions together rather than treating substance use in isolation.
Responsible addiction care begins with defining the role a treatment may realistically play.
Ketamine research for substance use disorders is growing, but study populations remain relatively small and protocols vary. Findings should be interpreted as promising rather than definitive.
Ketamine is FDA-approved as an anesthetic. Intravenous ketamine used specifically for addiction or substance use disorder is an off-label medical use.
Depending on the substance and individual circumstances, evidence-based care may include behavioral therapy, recovery support, medications, detoxification, intensive outpatient care, residential treatment, or other interventions.
Ketamine is a Schedule III controlled substance in the United States. A history of substance misuse makes careful screening, medical oversight, controlled administration, and consideration of individual risk especially important.
Sustainable recovery can involve biological, psychological, behavioral, social, and environmental factors. When ketamine is considered, it should make sense within that larger clinical picture.
There is no single mechanism that explains addiction or ketamine's potential role in treatment. Several areas are under investigation.
Ketamine interacts primarily with the brain's glutamate system, including NMDA receptor activity. Glutamate is involved in learning, memory, reward processing, and neural adaptation, all of which are relevant to substance use disorders.
Researchers continue to study ketamine's downstream effects on neuroplasticity—the nervous system's ability to change and reorganize. One hypothesis is that increased flexibility in neural signaling may create an opportunity for behavioral change when combined with appropriate treatment.
Addiction often involves powerful associations between environmental cues, emotions, memories, and substance use. Some studies are investigating whether ketamine can alter craving or established cue-response patterns.
Substance use disorders frequently coexist with psychiatric symptoms. For selected patients, understanding depression, anxiety, PTSD, and other co-occurring conditions may be an important part of evaluating the larger treatment picture.
The answer requires more than a diagnosis. A physician should consider the substance involved, current use, withdrawal risk, medical status, psychiatric history, previous treatment, medications, and the role ketamine would play in an overall plan.
The substances involved, frequency and pattern of use, previous periods of abstinence, relapse history, and current level of use all matter.
Alcohol, benzodiazepines, opioids, and other substances can involve medically significant withdrawal considerations that may require separate or more intensive treatment.
Cardiovascular health, medications, neurological history, pregnancy status, and other clinical factors should be reviewed before ketamine treatment.
Depression, trauma, anxiety, psychosis, mania, suicidality, and other psychiatric considerations can affect treatment planning and safety.
Therapy, recovery programs, medications for addiction, psychiatric treatment, and other existing care should be understood rather than unnecessarily disrupted.
The clinical team should understand what you are hoping to change and whether ketamine has a reasonable role within a broader recovery strategy.
Substance use history creates additional clinical considerations. Our process begins by determining whether an evaluation for IV ketamine makes medical sense.
Speak with our care team about your history, current concerns, previous treatment, and why you are exploring ketamine.
Medical history, substance use, medications, psychiatric factors, potential contraindications, and treatment goals are reviewed.
If ketamine is considered clinically appropriate, the physician discusses its potential role, limitations, risks, and how it relates to other elements of care.
Response and tolerability should be reassessed rather than assuming continued treatment is automatically appropriate.
Substance use disorders can involve physical dependence, psychiatric symptoms, environmental stressors, trauma, relationships, habits, and powerful learned behavior. A medication cannot address every part of that picture.
When ketamine is considered, its role should be coordinated thoughtfully with the other forms of support that are appropriate for the individual. For some patients, that may include a therapist, addiction medicine physician, psychiatrist, recovery program, or other treatment professional.
Dr. Jarrod Wilson is a South Florida physician specializing in anesthesiology. He attended medical school at the University of Miami and completed anesthesiology residency training at Mount Sinai Medical Center of Miami Beach.
His anesthesiology background includes experience with intravenous medications, patient monitoring, physiology, and medication safety. Ketamine is a controlled medication with important cardiovascular, psychological, sedation, dissociation, and misuse considerations, making responsible patient selection and clinical monitoring essential.
Ketamine Wellness Florida provides physician-guided IV ketamine care in Fort Lauderdale within The Remedy Health & Wellness. Our clinic serves adults from Fort Lauderdale, Broward County, and surrounding South Florida communities who are exploring whether ketamine may have an appropriate role in their care.
If you are researching ketamine for alcohol addiction, opioid use disorder, stimulant use disorder, or another substance use concern , the first step is a clinical conversation.We can discuss your history, answer questions about the emerging research, and determine whether further medical evaluation is appropriate.
Research into ketamine for substance use disorders continues to evolve. The following medical literature provides context for the educational information on this page.
These answers are educational and cannot determine whether ketamine is appropriate for an individual patient.
Speak with the Ketamine Wellness Florida care team in Fort Lauderdale to discuss your history, ask questions about the research, and determine whether a medical evaluation for ketamine therapy may be appropriate.
Research is exploring whether ketamine therapy may have a role in the treatment of certain substance use disorders, including alcohol, opioid, and stimulant use disorders.At Ketamine Wellness Florida, adults interested in this emerging area of care can begin with an individualized medical evaluation in Fort Lauderdale.
Substance use disorders affect far more than the substance itself. Craving, learned behavioral patterns, stress, depression, anxiety, trauma, withdrawal, and changes in reward systems can all influence a person's ability to reduce or stop substance use.
Researchers are investigating whether ketamine's effects on glutamate signaling, neuroplasticity, mood, craving, and learned responses may create a therapeutic window that can support recovery in selected patients.
Early clinical studies have produced encouraging findings, but the evidence remains developing. Ketamine is not currently an FDA-approved treatment for addiction and should not be presented as a stand-alone cure.
Evidence differs by substance, study design, dose, psychotherapy involvement, and treatment setting.
Alcohol use disorder is one of the more frequently studied areas in ketamine research. Studies have examined alcohol consumption, abstinence, craving, relapse, and ketamine combined with psychological treatment.
Researchers have studied possible effects on opioid craving and withdrawal symptoms. Evidence remains limited, and ketamine does not replace established medications such as buprenorphine or methadone when those treatments are indicated.
Small clinical studies have investigated whether ketamine may influence cocaine craving, motivation, and abstinence. Larger studies are still needed.
Evidence involving cannabis and other substances is substantially more limited. Results involving one substance should not automatically be generalized to another.
Depression, anxiety, PTSD, and substance use can overlap. Evaluation should consider these conditions together rather than viewing substance use in isolation.
Responsible addiction care begins with defining the role a treatment may realistically play.
Ketamine research for substance use disorders is growing, but study populations remain relatively small and protocols vary.
Ketamine is FDA-approved as an anesthetic. IV ketamine used specifically for substance use disorder is an off-label use.
Appropriate care may include behavioral therapy, medications, detoxification, intensive outpatient treatment, residential treatment, or other interventions.
Ketamine is a Schedule III controlled substance. Substance use history therefore requires careful screening and medical oversight.
Sustainable recovery can involve biological, psychological, behavioral, social, and environmental factors.
No single mechanism explains addiction or ketamine's potential role in treatment.
Ketamine interacts primarily with the glutamate system, including NMDA receptor activity. Glutamate is involved in learning, memory, reward processing, and neural adaptation.
Researchers are studying ketamine's downstream effects on neuroplasticity and whether increased flexibility in neural signaling could support behavioral change.
Some research is examining whether ketamine can influence craving or established associations between cues, emotions, memories, and substance use.
Substance use disorders frequently coexist with psychiatric symptoms, making co-occurring conditions important to evaluate.
The answer requires more than a diagnosis. Substance use, withdrawal risk, medical status, psychiatric history, medications, and treatment goals all matter.
The substance involved, pattern of use, previous abstinence, relapse history, and current use should be reviewed.
Alcohol, benzodiazepines, opioids, and other substances may involve medically significant withdrawal considerations.
Cardiovascular health, medications, neurological history, pregnancy status, and other clinical factors matter.
Depression, trauma, anxiety, psychosis, mania, suicidality, and other factors can affect planning.
Therapy, recovery programs, addiction medications, and psychiatric care should be considered together.
The clinical team should understand what you hope to change and whether ketamine has a reasonable role in the larger plan.
Substance use history creates additional clinical considerations.
Speak with our care team about your history, current concerns, previous treatment, and goals.
Medical history, substance use, medications, psychiatric factors, and contraindications are reviewed.
If ketamine is considered appropriate, its potential role, limitations, risks, and alternatives are discussed.
Response and tolerability are reassessed rather than assuming continued treatment is automatically appropriate.
Substance use disorders can involve physical dependence, psychiatric symptoms, environmental stressors, trauma, relationships, habits, and learned behavior.
When ketamine is considered, its role should be coordinated thoughtfully with the other forms of support appropriate for the individual.
Dr. Jarrod Wilson is a South Florida physician specializing in anesthesiology. He attended medical school at the University of Miami and completed anesthesiology residency training at Mount Sinai Medical Center of Miami Beach.
His background includes experience with intravenous medications, physiology, monitoring, and medication safety—important considerations when ketamine treatment is being evaluated.
Ketamine Wellness Florida provides physician-guided IV ketamine care in Fort Lauderdale within The Remedy Health & Wellness.
If you are researching ketamine for alcohol addiction, opioid use disorder, stimulant use disorder, or another substance use concern, the first step is a clinical conversation.
Research into ketamine for substance use disorders continues to evolve.
Speak with the Ketamine Wellness Florida care team in Fort Lauderdale to discuss your history and determine whether a medical evaluation may be appropriate.