Invictus Clinic

Invictus Clinic is a ketamine infusion clinic in Marietta, Georgia, in the Atlanta area. It opened in February 2020, and besides intravenous ketamine it offers Spravato nasal spray, TMS, vitamin drips and NAD+. A partner site near Macon is run with Travis Lee Clinic.

Approach

The clinic was founded by Brandon Grinage, MD, its medical director and an anaesthesiologist in northwest Georgia since 2012, and Wesley Karcher, MSN, CRNA, a nurse anaesthetist since 2007. A first visit opens with a consultation with one of them about health history. For depression, PTSD and other mood conditions an infusion lasts about 40 to 60 minutes. Pain and migraine patients have two shorter, lower-dose infusions, then sessions of about four hours. Infusions take place in private rooms.

Who it is for

The clinic calls ketamine a treatment for people whose condition has not responded to other care, not a first step. Its list covers depression, anxiety, PTSD, bipolar disorder, OCD, suicidal ideation, addiction, chronic pain, migraine, neuropathy and radiculopathy. Pregnancy and schizophrenia can rule a person out.

Practical details

The clinic is open on weekdays from 9am to 5pm and on Saturday by appointment. Each ketamine infusion for a mood disorder costs $400, the first one including its consultation; for pain conditions the price is $1,000. Ketamine is self-pay, with forms for out-of-network claims and financing through Advance Care, while Spravato can go through insurance. Patients fast for six hours beforehand and need a driver home.

Care and safety

No psychiatrist’s referral is needed. Without one, patients bring records showing a documented diagnosis, and a free first consultation decides whether ketamine fits. Staff track blood pressure, pulse and oxygen saturation throughout and adjust the drip rate. High blood pressure, sleep apnoea and seizure disorders need to be under control first, and MAOI antidepressants may have to be tapered.