Ketamine therapy for OCD

What the evidence says

A handful of small trials and case series report rapid but short-lived reductions in obsessions after a single ketamine infusion, mostly in people without prominent depression. Effects fade within a week in most, and repeated dosing has not been well studied. Ketamine is not a standard OCD treatment. See the coverage hub, the ketamine therapy hub, and the coverage checker.

Who might consider it

Adults with severe OCD that has not responded to exposure and response prevention plus at least two SSRI trials at high dose, often with co-occurring depression, as an adjunct while therapy continues. Clinics should track a Y-BOCS score.

What treatment looks like

Infusions, sometimes paired with an exposure session shortly afterward, which some programs use to exploit the window of reduced anxiety.

Coverage and cost

Not covered. Cash prices run $350 to $850 per session. See TMS for OCD, the FDA-cleared interventional option.