If you have tried two or more antidepressants without much to show for it, you have treatment-resistant depression. It is a clinical description, not a verdict, and it is the main reason people come to NeoMedicine Institute for IV ketamine.
Here is what the treatment involves, start to finish.
Step one: the evaluation
Nothing is scheduled until a physician has reviewed your diagnosis, treatment history, current medications and any potential contraindications.
“We primarily treat patients with treatment-resistant depression, so patients who have tried medications and either partially responded, did not respond, or had side effects. We also evaluate selected patients with anxiety, PTSD and chronic pain.”
This step matters more than people assume. Ketamine affects blood pressure, perception and consciousness, and the screening is what separates a safe course of treatment from a risky one.
Step two: the protocol
The induction course is six infusions, generally once or twice per week. Each one lasts about 40 minutes.
Dosing is individualized rather than fixed. You are monitored throughout with standard clinical monitors: EKG, oxygen saturation and blood pressure. Dr. De La Hoz brings more than 15 years of experience with ketamine from anesthesiology, where the drug has been used for roughly 60 years.
What happens after the six depends entirely on you. Response, tolerability and clinical circumstances decide whether you need maintenance, and how often. Here is what a course of infusions costs.
Step three: what the 40 minutes feels like
“Patients commonly describe a deeply introspective experience, sometimes with changes in perception or a sense of detachment. We provide a quiet environment, headphones, and eye coverings while monitoring patients throughout the infusion.”
Most people find it strange rather than unpleasant. The sensory setup is deliberate: less to look at and listen to means less to pull you out of the experience.
When does it start working?
Some patients notice improvement after the first infusion. Others respond later in the course. Ketamine has demonstrated rapid antidepressant effects in clinical studies, which is the main reason it is used at all, but responses vary between people and improvement is not guaranteed.
That last sentence is worth sitting with. Any clinic promising you a specific outcome on a specific timeline is selling, not treating.
Therapy alongside the infusions
NeoMedicine places real emphasis on psychotherapy running in parallel with treatment, because the combination has been shown to give patients better results than infusions alone. The infusion opens a window. What you do inside it counts.
What if the depression comes back?
“Ketamine is not necessarily a permanent cure. Some patients experience sustained improvement, while others may need further evaluation, maintenance treatment, medication management, or psychotherapy. We individualize the approach based on response and long-term needs.”
What makes a physician-monitored infusion different
Plenty of places in Miami will give you ketamine. Fewer will have a board certified anesthesiologist administering it and watching the monitors.
The questions worth asking any clinic: who is in the room during the infusion, what are they trained in, what are they monitoring, and who adjusts the dose if something changes. At NeoMedicine the answer to all four is the same physician. If you are weighing IV ketamine or Spravato, that comparison is covered separately.
Frequently asked questions
It starts with a full evaluation of your diagnosis, previous treatments, medical history and medications. Patients with treatment-resistant depression are the primary focus, and selected patients with other conditions are considered when clinically appropriate.
Some patients notice improvement after their first infusion, while others respond later in treatment. Ketamine has demonstrated rapid antidepressant effects in clinical studies, but individual responses vary and improvement is not guaranteed.
The induction protocol is six infusions, generally once or twice per week. The number of sessions beyond that depends on response, tolerability and clinical circumstances.
$525 per infusion, so $3,150 for the six-infusion induction course. The eligibility call is free.
NeoMedicine Institute, 2510 NW 97th Ave Suite 110, Doral, FL 33172. Book a free eligibility call, or call 786-264-2999. Consultations are also available at our Aventura office.
If you are in crisis or thinking about harming yourself, call or text 988 in the United States to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
