Wells Medicine

Wells Medicine is a ketamine infusion clinic in West Houston, Texas, that has given IV ketamine since 2015 and also offers TMS, stellate ganglion blocks and nitrous oxide treatment. It says it was the first clinic in Houston to specialise in ketamine, and it reports more than 11,000 infusions.

Approach

Dr Allison Wells, MD, a board-certified anaesthesiologist whose training took in Harvard Medical School and Baylor College of Medicine, leads the clinic and founded it with Jesse Wells. A visit starts with a symptom questionnaire and a talk in a private room, followed by a weight-based infusion of 40 to 60 minutes with music, low light and an eye mask if wanted. Treatment for mood symptoms begins with six infusions over two to three weeks, then maintenance every three to five weeks.

Who it is for

Wells Medicine treats depression, including treatment-resistant and postpartum depression, as well as anxiety, OCD, PTSD, depressive episodes in bipolar disorder and chronic pain such as CRPS, migraine and fibromyalgia. The clinic notes that ketamine is not a first-line treatment and should not replace conventional medication and therapy.

Practical details

Payment is cash only. An IV infusion for psychiatric symptoms costs $426 and an IM or intranasal ketamine treatment $360, while pain infusions cost $618 or $2,130 depending on length. Insurance, Medicare and Medicaid are not billed, but the clinic provides paperwork for reimbursement claims. It opens on weekdays from 7 am to 3 pm and on Saturday mornings.

Care and safety

Patients fast for a few hours beforehand, and heart rate and blood pressure are monitored throughout the infusion, with medication for nausea when needed. Uncontrolled high blood pressure, kidney disease and schizophrenia can rule treatment out. Everyone needs a driver home and their own doctor for regular and urgent care, which the clinic does not provide.