IV Ketamine Therapy in Tempe, Arizona
When depression continues to affect your life despite treatment, you deserve a thoughtful conversation about what comes next.
Alevea offers medically monitored IV ketamine infusions for appropriately screened adults. Our team reviews your treatment history, explains your options, and helps determine whether ketamine is an option for you.
IN TEMPE
INDIVIDUALIZED
PRIVATE ROOMS
PROVIDER MONITORED
SAFETY FIRST
UNDERSTANDING ADVANCED THERAPEUTICS
Could IV Ketamine Be an Option for Depression?
Persistent depression can make daily responsibilities feel harder and leave you unsure what else to try. A ketamine evaluation is an opportunity to review what has helped, what has not, and which next steps are reasonable for you.
Previous treatment has not been enough
You have tried antidepressant treatment but continue to experience symptoms. Bring your medication history so we can review the details together.
Symptoms affect everyday life
Low mood, loss of interest, or difficulty functioning continue to interfere with work, relationships, or routines.
You want a clear evaluation
You want to understand potential benefits, limitations, costs, and alternatives before deciding whether to pursue treatment.
What Is IV Ketamine Therapy?
IV ketamine therapy delivers ketamine through a small intravenous catheter. For psychiatric care, clinicians may prescribe ketamine off-label after evaluating a patient’s history and treatment needs.
Ketamine affects NMDA receptors involved in glutamate signaling. Researchers are studying how these effects influence brain communication and depressive symptoms; the full antidepressant mechanism remains under investigation.
What does “off-label” mean?
Ketamine injection is FDA-approved for anesthesia. Using it to treat depression is outside that approved indication.
Off-label use does not mean the FDA has established ketamine’s safety or effectiveness for depression. Your evaluation should include a discussion of the evidence, risks, and alternatives.
A REALISTIC VIEW OF TREATMENT
What Can Ketamine Treatment Potentially Do?
Research has found that IV ketamine can reduce depressive symptoms rapidly in some people with treatment-resistant depression. Some notice changes within hours or days, while others do not improve. Early relief can be temporary, and ongoing assessment is essential.
What we hope to improve
The goal is meaningful relief from depression and better day-to-day functioning. Together, we identify changes that matter to you and evaluate whether treatment is helping.
What we cannot promise
Ketamine is not a guaranteed cure. Neither one infusion nor a treatment series guarantees lasting benefit. Continuation should depend on response, tolerability, and an individualized review.
How to Get Started With Ketamine Treatment at Alevea
Getting evaluated for Ketamine Therapy does not need to be complicated. Alevea provides a clear, convenient process designed to help you move from uncertainty to answers.
Our goal is full treatment and improvement, not just an infusion.
01 / SCREENING
Tell us what you are looking for
Complete Alevea’s ketamine screening to share information for review. Screening is the first step and does not guarantee that treatment will be recommended.
02 / EVALUATION
Review your options with a provider
We discuss your symptoms, previous treatments, health history, and goals. This visit helps clarify whether IV ketamine or another approach may be appropriate.
03 / PLANNING
Know the plan before you begin
If ketamine is recommended, we explain your proposed schedule, preparation instructions, costs, transportation needs, and follow-up plan.
TRANSPARENT AND COMFORTABLE CARE
What to Expect During an IV Ketamine Appointment
Before the infusion
Your team reviews how you are feeling, checks relevant health information and vital signs, and answers questions before placing the IV.
During treatment
Ketamine is delivered gradually while staff monitor your blood pressure, pulse, oxygen level, and response. You may experience changes in perception or a sense of disconnection called dissociation.
During recovery
You remain for observation and a discharge assessment. Your team reviews recovery instructions before you leave with your arranged transportation.
Plan for the whole visit
Alevea’s infusion protocol generally runs for approximately 66 minutes. Allow about two hours for the overall appointment, with additional time if needed for recovery. Confirm your arrival and pickup instructions before each visit.
Preparing for Ketamine Infusion Therapy
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Arrange transportation and time to recover afterward.
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Bring an updated medication and supplement list.
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Follow your team’s food, fluid, and medication instructions.
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Tell us about new symptoms or changes in your health.
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Ask what comfort items you may bring to your appointment.
Do not stop or change prescribed medication on your own. Ask your provider for instructions about alcohol, cannabis, and any sedating medicines before treatment.
You will need a ride home
Do not drive yourself home after an infusion. Plan to avoid driving, operating machinery, and other hazardous activities for at least 24 hours after ketamine and longer if your provider advises or you remain impaired.
Your care team will explain the transportation and discharge arrangements required for your visit.
How Many Ketamine Infusions Will I Need?
Initial Treatment Series
Maintenance Infusions
Your provider determines the treatment schedule with you. A proposed series is a starting plan, and it can change if treatment is not helping or is difficult to tolerate.
Alevea offers a six-infusion package. The number and spacing of appointments should be selected after evaluation, with progress reviewed during the series.
After the initial course, your provider reviews benefits, side effects, and next steps. Additional infusions may be considered for some patients; others may be better served by a different treatment plan.
CARE BEYOND THE APPOINTMENT
Why Choose Alevea for IV Ketamine in Tempe?
At Alevea, your questions, treatment history, and personal goals shape the conversation. Our psychiatric team evaluates ketamine in the context of your broader mental health care, explains what each step involves, and reviews your progress over time. You have space to ask about options, talk honestly about how you are doing, and reconsider the plan when needed.
Experienced Psychiatric Care
We consider your symptoms, diagnoses, medications, physical health, treatment history, and personal goals.
Safe Monitored
Setting
Ketamine is administered in a private clinical setting with required observation and safety monitoring.
Central Tempe
Location
Located in Tempe, near ASU, Scottsdale, Mesa, Chandler, Gilbert, and Phoenix.
IV Ketamine Treatment Costs and Insurance
Explore your options with a clearer picture of the cost. Our team can walk you through IV ketamine pricing, explain any additional fees, and help you plan your next step with confidence and transparency.
Does insurance cover IV ketamine for depression?
IV ketamine is used off-label for mental health treatment, meaning it is prescribed for a purpose outside its FDA-approved indications. Insurance coverage varies, and patients, most often, pay for infusions out of pocket. Your plan may cover certain psychiatric visits while treating the infusion and medication as separate services.
Alevea can help you understand which benefits to ask your insurer about and review anticipated costs before treatment. Spravato® has different coverage requirements and may be an insurance-covered option for eligible patients. Although a benefits review cannot guarantee approval or payment, our team is here to answer questions and help you explore a financial plan that fits your circumstances.
IV Ketamine vs. Spravato: What Is the Difference?
IV ketamine and Spravato are related medications with different delivery methods, approval status, and treatment requirements. Your provider can help you compare them.
What to compare | Spravato | Ketamine |
|---|---|---|
Transportation | Ride home required | Ride home required |
Payment | May be covered, subject to plan requirements | Often self-pay; verify individual benefits |
Treatment setting | REMS-certified treatment setting | Private, monitored clinical setting at Alevea |
FDA status | Approved for specific adult depression indications | Off-label for psychiatric treatment |
How it is given | Nasal spray under supervision | Intravenous infusion |
Medication | Esketamine | Ketamine |
Ketamine Safety and Medical Screening
Ketamine can cause increased blood pressure or heart rate, nausea, dizziness, sedation, and changes in perception. Serious risks include breathing problems, misuse or dependence, and urinary or liver complications, particularly with repeated exposure. Monitoring reduces some risks but does not eliminate them.
Tell your provider about cardiovascular conditions, liver or urinary problems, substance use, pregnancy or breastfeeding, and all medicines you take. A history of psychosis or mania also requires careful psychiatric review. Some conditions may make treatment unsuitable.
If symptoms worsen during or between appointments, contact your treating team. Do not wait for a scheduled infusion to seek urgent help.
For a mental health crisis, call or text 988. If you are in immediate danger, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department. A ketamine screening request is not an emergency service.
KETAMINE TREATMENT SUCCESS
Support Between Ketamine Appointments
Use follow-up visits to discuss changes in symptoms, daily functioning, and side effects. Your ongoing plan may also include counseling, medication management, and practical support for daily routines.
If you are interested in ketamine-assisted psychotherapy or integration support, ask which services are available, who provides them, and whether they are billed separately from infusions.
Beyond Survival
An Evidence-Based Understanding of Ketamine Therapy
Beyond Survival was written from that clinical middle ground. Topher Bradshaw, PA-C, and Eliza Sabo, DNP, PMHNP, sit with patients through ketamine infusions, preparation, and integration. The book explains the neuroscience without hype, names the limits of current evidence, and treats ketamine as one tool in a larger recovery, not a miracle and not a last resort to be feared.
If you are considering IV ketamine, esketamine (Spravato), or ketamine-assisted psychotherapy, this is a field guide for making a clearer decision: how infusions work in the brain, who they may help, what risks to ask about, and how to evaluate a clinic before you begin.
Ketamine Therapy Journal: A Guided Companion for Six Infusions
A thoughtful place to prepare, reflect, and notice what changes across six clinician-supervised infusions.
Frequently Asked Questions About IV Ketamine Therapy
Where can I receive IV ketamine therapy in Tempe, Arizona?
Alevea Mental Health offers medically supervised IV ketamine infusions at our Tempe clinic. Adults from Tempe and the surrounding Phoenix area can begin with a screening to discuss their symptoms, previous treatments, and whether a full evaluation is appropriate. Infusions take place in person with clinical monitoring.
Who may be a candidate for ketamine infusions for depression?
IV ketamine may be considered for some adults whose depression has not adequately improved with previous treatment. At Alevea, your provider reviews your psychiatric and medical history, medications, treatment response, and goals. Screening helps determine whether the potential benefits outweigh the risks and whether another treatment may be more appropriate.
How does IV ketamine work for depression?
Ketamine affects NMDA receptors involved in glutamate signaling, a system that helps brain cells communicate. Researchers are studying how these effects may contribute to relief from depressive symptoms. Its effects differ from those of many traditional antidepressants, although the full antidepressant mechanism is still being investigated.
How quickly can ketamine help, and how long do the benefits last?
Some people in research studies have experienced improvement within hours or days. Others respond more gradually or do not improve. Benefits may be temporary, so early relief does not necessarily mean lasting recovery. Your provider will track symptoms and daily functioning to help determine whether continued treatment is worthwhile. Learn more about ketamine research from NIMH.
Is IV ketamine FDA-approved for depression?
Ketamine injection is FDA-approved for anesthesia. Its use for depression and other psychiatric conditions is off-label, meaning it is prescribed for a purpose outside its approved indications. Off-label use requires an individualized discussion of potential benefits, risks, and alternatives. Read the FDA’s information about ketamine and psychiatric treatment.
What happens during an IV ketamine appointment at Alevea?
Your visit begins with a health check and baseline vital signs. During the infusion, our team monitors your blood pressure, pulse, oxygen level, and comfort. Alevea’s psychiatric infusion protocol generally delivers medication over approximately 66 minutes. Recovery and a safety assessment follow, so allow additional time beyond the infusion itself.
What does a ketamine infusion feel like? Will I be asleep?
You may feel relaxed, sleepy, or less connected to your surroundings. Some people describe a floating sensation or changes in their perception of time. Others experience discomfort or nausea. Psychiatric infusions are not intended to produce general anesthesia, although reduced awareness can occur. Let your care team know how you feel throughout the appointment.
How many ketamine infusions will I need?
Your treatment plan depends on your response and tolerability. An initial series may be recommended, with progress reviewed along the way. Completing a series does not automatically mean you need ongoing infusions. If maintenance treatment is considered, your provider will discuss its purpose, frequency, costs, and how continued benefit will be assessed.
How should I prepare for an IV ketamine infusion?
Before your appointment, Alevea will provide instructions about food, fluids, medications, and transportation. Share an up-to-date medication and supplement list, and tell the team about changes in your health. Do not stop antidepressants or adjust other prescribed medications on your own. Arrange a ride home and leave time afterward to recover.
Can I drive or return to work after ketamine treatment?
You will need transportation home after your infusion. Plan to avoid driving, operating machinery, making major decisions, and other activities requiring full alertness during recovery. Ask Alevea how much time to set aside for your specific work responsibilities and follow your provider’s discharge instructions before resuming these activities.
What are the risks of IV ketamine therapy?
Ketamine can cause nausea, dizziness, sedation, dissociation, increased blood pressure, and breathing problems. Misuse and abuse are also concerns. Certain medical conditions and medication combinations can increase risk, which is why screening and monitoring matter. Tell your provider about heart or blood pressure conditions, substance use, pregnancy, and all medications you take. FDA safety information.
Does insurance cover IV ketamine infusions for depression?
IV ketamine for psychiatric care is often a self-pay expense. Your insurance may cover a psychiatric evaluation while handling the medication and infusion differently. Alevea can review anticipated charges and help you identify questions to ask your insurer. Confirming benefits before treatment can help you plan, although a benefits check does not guarantee payment.
How much does IV ketamine treatment at Alevea cost?
Your anticipated cost depends on the proposed treatment course and any separately billed services. Ask our team for current infusion pricing, available package options, and whether evaluation or follow-up appointments are included. We can walk you through the expected expenses before you decide how to proceed.
What is the difference between IV ketamine and Spravato®?
IV ketamine is delivered through a vein and used off-label for psychiatric treatment. Spravato contains esketamine and is an FDA-approved nasal spray for specific adult depression indications. It requires supervised administration through a certified treatment center. The options have different schedules, monitoring requirements, and insurance considerations. Alevea can help you explore which may fit your clinical needs. Explore Spravato treatment at Alevea.
Can ketamine infusion appointments be completed through telehealth?
IV ketamine infusions require an in-person visit to Alevea’s Tempe clinic. Medication administration, monitoring, and recovery take place on-site. Ask our team whether any parts of your evaluation or follow-up care can be completed through telehealth based on your circumstances.
How do I get started with IV ketamine treatment at Alevea?
Contact Alevea to begin the ketamine screening process. Have your current medication list and information about previous depression treatments available. Our team will explain the evaluation process, answer questions about appointments and costs, and help you understand your next steps. Treatment begins only after your provider determines that it is appropriate.