This handout is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of any treatment.

If you are in a life-threatening situation, call the National Suicide Prevention Line at +1-800-273-8255, call 911, or go to the nearest Emergency Room.

There are three pillars of focus to maximize your at home oral ketamine experience. Please refer to this resource guide for hopeful enhanced treatment benefits.

Safety

Your safety is the most important to us at Revitalist. Our team recommends that you have another trusted informed adult in the home while you are conducting your ketamine session.

Please do not drive a vehicle (car, bike, motorcycle, etc.) or operate heavy machinery following your ketamine treatment until you have had a full night’s sleep.

To prepare for a comfortable experience, please refrain from eating solid foods three hours prior to the treatment. Also, please refrain from liquid consumption up to one hour prior to the session. Please hold all forms of alcohol, cannabis, opiates, and benzos six hours before and six hours after the treatment.

You should not alter your prescribed medications in any way, unless you are directed by a trained medical provider and/or your prescribing physician.

Become familiar with common and expected side effects of your ketamine treatment. This will help to manage your expectations of a dissociative experience.

Common symptoms include: altered sense of time, anxiety, blurred vision, diminished ability to see/feel/hear (out of body experience), dry mouth, temporary elevated blood pressure and heart rate, excitability, mental confusion, mild nausea, slurred speech, rapid eye movements, and synthesia (mixing of senses). All side effects are typically short lived and will diminish after the treatment.

Set

The set component refers to your “Mind-Set” prior to your treatment session. It is recommended that you create an intention for yourself prior to the treatment. Intentions serve as your homebase for the session and a place to ground your thoughts. Intention examples include: “I want to be more connected to others”; “I want to let go of things that no longer serve me”; “I want to feel less sad.”; etc.

It is important to keep an open mind and try not to set an agenda for your session as your mind will guide you through your journey but your intention can be your home base to return if things become or feel overwhelming. Intentions are also encouraged to be documented in a journal or saved to help guide integrative aftercare.

As Ketamine promotes psychological flexibility, some thoughts will come and go but you will have more control over your breathwork. Taking deep breaths in through your nose and exhaling through your mouth can also help to ground and reset yourself during the ketamine experience.

Setting

Prior to your ketamine treatment, promoting and fostering a safe and comfortable environment can make all the difference. Wear comfortable clothes, take your shoes off, grab comfy blankets and have all of your creature comforts to be nearby. It’s helpful to recline in appropriate seating, use low lighting, and minimize external sounds and distractions. 

Eye masks and headphones are often used to help decrease distractions as well. Grounding items to aid a supportive environment include ambient music without lyrics, light projectors, weighted blankets, and/or relaxing and soothing aromas.

Supportive Resources

https://zendoproject.org/resources/

List of hotlines, warmlines, resources, manuals, and free counseling options

www.firesideproject.org

Call or Text 62-FIRESIDE from 11:00am – 11:00pm PST for post psychedelic trip support and visit the website for additional resources.

Crisis Phone/Text Lines

Text “4HOPE” to 741741 (Ohio only) Text “GO” to 741741 (Nationwide)

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 800-273-TALK (8255)

Lifeline Chat: National Helpline for Substance Abuse: 800-662-4357 National Sexual Assault Hotline: 800-656-4673

Online Crisis Network: imalive.org

Rape, Abuse, Incest National Network: www.rainn.org Trevor Lifeline for LGBTQ Youth: 866-488-7388 Trans Lifeline for Transgender People: 877-565-8860