Last week, I started ketamine IV for my severe major depressive disorder at Innovative Ketamine here in Chicago. After a lifetime of depression and a decade of severe depression, it was the first time I felt like there was hope that I could live like a normal human again. I started therapy (weekly on a day that I got my first infusion) to make sure I got the most from the experience. After a week, I was confident that I would be turning everything around. Today, I had my 4th of 6 planned sessions and everything started out normally, however, during the session, it felt like what I can only describe as "the power going out". The music I was listening to stopped, and I came right awake. Still dizzy, but no one had come into the room even though there's a camera in each room and I was told they'd be monitoring. I could hear a patient in the next room moaning and gasping loudly like they were in pain and I could see blood pooling in in my IV. I called out and waved at the camera until someone final came in and removed my IV but left a blood soaked bandage on my arm I was left alone and I walked to the front desk where I asked if this was normal. A tech led me back and wrapped a new bandage but said nothing else and I was left in shock as the moaning man stilled called out in the background. My day since then feels like everything that happened last week has been undone. My hope has been replaced with a deeper despair than before and I am scrambling for any desperate help I can find. I canceled my last two appointments and therapy sessions, explaining what had happened, so far I've received nothing but a "I'm sorry that happened to you". I feel like I was near the finish line and got kicked in the face and left on the side of the track, wondering how I can trust this process again read more

Dr. Farby is a genuinely fine physician, knowledgeable, compassionate, exceptional bedside manner. The kind of doctor that makes you feel more like a friend then a patient. He has been our primary physician for nearly 40 years. For selfish reasons, I hope he never retires. read more

I am so grateful to the team at this clinic at Innovative Ketamine. I was treated with kindness, patience, and respect start to finish! Special shout out to Mary Ellen, Eileen, Gabby, Charis, Christina, Brian, Matt, and Dr. R. I hope I didn't forget anyone. Great crew here. The best!! read more

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We do nasal ketamine spray at Behavioral Health providers in Schaumburg. Call us for a appointment at 847 895 4540

It needs work. I had 2 infusions there are there were issues with both. The first one, they didn't tell me to stop taking one of my medications that I later found in my visit notes from them that I should've stopped to have reached full efficacy. I called afterwards and they confirmed I should not take it. This seems to be an important piece of info to not share with someone and it feels like my 1st one was a bit wasted. Afterwards I was incredibly motion sick and nauseous. You're hustled out of the infusion room quickly and the only place to "recover" is the cramped waiting room up front. Second infusion, the staff member misplaced the IV and the first half hour I felt maybe 10% under the influence of the ketamine. When I called for her to fix it she said that there was "some left", and re-stuck me. The next half hour I barely got into the trip and came home with a bruised and swollen hand. It felt like another infusion wasted. I experienced similar motion sickness and nausea and had to sit in the waiting room again until I could manage to walk out the door. It feels a bit like amateur hour, not like a professional clinic. I won't be going back. There are other ketamine clinics in the area that the reviews are stronger for. In that state, you really need to feel comfortable and safe and like your health is being prioritized. I felt like they dropped the ball in that regard and it's not acceptable. read more

Innovative Psychedelics - Bruised and swollen hand - Counseling & Mental Health Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I couldn't possibly say enough to adequately express how amazing this place is. The office space is absolutely Beautiful! It's calm, relaxing and the Lazy-boys are the most comfortable chairs to get the infusion in! They have great physicians, take insurance (which is amazing), and they provide headphones, music & eye masks for the optimal ketamine experience! I like that they have a psychologist on staff. I also love that it is peaceful and that they monitor you in a way that does not interfere with your infusion or peace of mind. They are cost-effective (using insurance), sweet, and medically, THE best I've ever been to. Personally, ketamine therapy has revolutionized and reinvigorated my life. It is perhaps the most powerful and efficacious mental health treatment available today. With zero side effects, no need to take pills and FAST/RAPID results, how could anyone pass this opportunity up? I highly recommend it to anyone and their loved ones. The staff is lovely and will help you setup your first appointment and schedule your infusions when it's convenient for you! read more

This is where you go for an effective, innovative solution to pain, anxiety, depression and other truly challenging problems that a prescription, lifestyle or diet change doesn't significantly help. Every Innovative service breaks molds with staff who genuinely care for a patient's wellbeing. Innovative Ketamine is no exception with smart, compassionate and efficient medical practitioners. They listen, respond and remember because they want you to feel better. I've been in countless doctor's offices, clinics and hospitals over my lifetime. Their location/space works just fine, not any more or less soundproof than others. The full recliners and noise-cancelling headphones are icing. Plus, it's convenient to transportation and parking is even easy for the north side of Chicago. Additionally, at no point was I left unaware of the cost of services nor have I ever felt like I was being rushed through the process. It's antithetical to their purpose. Medical care is insanely expensive, and another thing that sets this medical practice apart is their awareness of that, working with you to find affordable solutions to chronic problems. It's just one reason the name Innovative is so appropriate. read more

DO NOT GO TO THIS CLINIC. It is an unprofessional mess and they have little regard for how they treat their patients. They have a nurse taking off her mask and telling others they can do the same during the pandemic. I got very sick from the treatments (not their fault) but they were not prepared and did not take care of me. Before my second treatment, I asked every staff member to make sure they were prepared in case I got sick to my stomach again and they did nothing. In fact, they totally forgot about me, let my ketamine run out without noticing. I use the nurse call button and waved to the camera monitor for over 10 minutes and no one came to help me. I finally had to verbally yell for help and a nurse didn't come but the front desk staff did. It was very upsetting especially when you're in such a vulnerable state. I do not trust them at all. I went home and they had forgotten to take the heart monitor stickers off my chest. When I reported these complaints they did not address them at all. No apology or reassurance that other patients would be treated better. They do not care; they just want your money. Worst medical clinic experience I have ever had. read more

This business is very unprofessionally run and I am absolutely appalled at the experience I've had. They were misbilling and still overcharging even when they were accepting insurance (accepting insurance illegally, mind you). There is a reason they are no longer able to accept insurance. The phlebotomists and the receptionists do not have the slightest clue what they're doing. The ONLY positive about this place was Dr. Ortman, but to my understanding she is no longer working there. They don't care about mental health, just your money. There are no on-site therapists, just some BS auto-text that you will receive once a day that asks you to rate how you're feeling on a scale of 1-10. That's literally it. It is also not a "zen" environment. When you are in your room, you can clearly hear people talking unless you are listening to music. And not to mention they will try to get you in and out as quickly as possible. I find that all extremely off-putting, especially when you call yourself "innovative". Ketamine is an excellent option for many ailments, but this place is NOT it. I definitely would recommend other ketamine clinics in the area. read more

Staff was not consistent in information given. Ketamine seems like a great way to treat depression, but this clinic gave me bad experiences I feel like I'm gonna be worse off than when I started. read more

I went to this clinic three years ago! I know, that's s a really long time ago. But it was so traumatic that it's taken me this long to speak about what I experienced. My daughter had encouraged me to go. She had gone for treatments (not to this clinic) and had enormously benefited. She told me about how K helps forge new neural pathways that allow your brain to connect with yourself and the world in new ways. It sounded good. She came with me and sat in the room the whole time. I hadn't eaten much during the day and worried about the dosing since my system tends to be sensitive. They told me not to worry, that that would mean I'd be less nauseated afterwards. A few minutes after starting the IV, it felt like some force slammed me against the back of the reclined lazy boy where it would hold me for the entire time. Over time, I lost the ability to swallow. I began to panic and so I did yogic relaxation, telling myself to let go of the urge to swallow altogether. (I've practiced yoga for decades.) It then became increasingly difficult to breathe. Again, I drew on yogic relaxation techniques, telling myself to just let go of wanting to breathe. I tried to talk to my daughter, who was sitting in a chair at the foot of the lazy boy the hold time. But I couldn't move my mouth or use my voice to speak. After mobilizing as best I could, I called out (barely utter, in reality) her name and the words,"This is too much." She thought it was funny, thinking I was using hippy-talk. The psychedelic hallucinations were overwhelming. Unending waterfall-like moving patterns and colors against what seemed like an enormous sky, my chest pressed powerfully onto the ground. And then I began to die. I now realize that that is called the k-hole. I began feeling terrible that I had not yet made a will. As I felt death approach, I felt myself just let go. While many value the k-hole for this, it didn't feel good since this all was happening with me physically paralyzed, with so much pressure pushing me down. As others have said, the place doesn't seem to have qualified caretakers. No one came in to check on whether or not I was okay. Instead, they asked my daughter! I mourn my $500, but I'm glad I've finally said something. read more

I've been to Innovative 11x total. The first 10 were without issue (outside of the shockingly paper-thin walls) and helped me immensely.. I owe my life to the medicine. I was just there for the 11th time and had a horrific experience. If you are dealing with really heavy emotional or psychological burdens, I very much encourage you to seek an alternative place for this medication. The potential psychological damage isn't worth the money you'll save by going to Innovative unfortunately. It's no longer a safe place for me. They're supposed to be watching you via the camera in your room. I needed help and no one came for the entire time. I was waiving at the camera, turned on my phone's flashlight and waived it around, heard several people outside of my door and I said out loud "can anyone help me?" and "please help", and I was pushing all the buttons on the monitor I was hooked up to. I couldn't move because I was hooked to the IV and was very sedated from the medication. No one came to my aid and I was terrified because it had a direct correlation to an event that caused my CPTSD. When someone finally came, they confirmed that I was seen on the cameras, but didn't indicate why no one came to help me. They also confirmed that the monitor with the 4 buttons only had 1 button that worked, so I had been pushing all the inactive buttons to try to get help. Why would you give inactive buttons at all on a device held by a patient on a high dose of sedating & disassociating medication? I thought I was trapped again, it all took me right back, and I was so scared because it's difficult to understand what's real and what isn't when you have that much medication in you. Scared to speak up, scared to not because you feel imminent danger. I had a panic attack in that room as the medication wore off, and I haven't had one in almost a year before that. The regression is so sad for me. The appointment notes weren't even accurate. None of the things that the Dr said were discussed.. were actually discussed. My panic attack wasn't notated, nor the several people called in to help me afterwards were notated. It was all just the same words as every other appointment. They told me that my original Dr (that screened me for eligibility and handled a few of my treatments) would call me on Friday to discuss the event, but he called on Thursday instead, I wasn't able to speak, he left a message saying he'll call me back on Friday, and then didn't. Please do your due diligence on the place you choose. The impact is staggeringly high when you're psychologically vulnerable to your environment. Good luck, my people. Stay safe. read more

This place is terrific. The people who have left bad reviews may have experienced them at the beginning when they were still getting the kinks out. I had a completely different experience. The doctors are very caring and will answer all your questions thoroughly. They work with a population that is fragile - people with PTSD, severe depression, chronic pain. Most are pretty desperate for relief and have tried a number of modalities to get well. Everyone that I saw was getting competent care. I found the facility clean and organized. The treatments can take from 50 minutes to three hours, depending on the condition they are treating. If you want to bring your own headphones and small blanket as I did, you certainly can. They strongly suggest that you listen to their music because it is evocative and unfamiliar. They don't rush you to leave after your infusion. For people seeking this cutting edge treatment, I can't imagine that you'll do better than Innovative Ketamine. read more

Okay-nice people, compassionate work. Totally got that. Unfortunately total chaos and paper thin walls. It's also not very sanitary-they do not wipe down the headphones, chair,offer clean blankets (there's just one in the room that's used by everyone)!or fresh pillows or any clean comfort. C'mon! That's gross. The place is tiny. Be aware the waiting room holds 5 or 6 smashed together, so prepare anyone who accompanies you. The experience itself is interesting but due to the tiny space and thin walls I could hear someone wailing next door during my treatment, though I had the communal headphones on. The doctor came to tell me 'it's good she's getting it out'. Um, why are you telling me about another patient, it's none of my business? The doctors are still nice but a bit too aloof to my liking. One told me that the less meds the better on one level I get it, but I bet he wouldn't say that to a diabetic or a schizophrenic! He also told me I should quit one of my medications and smoke pot instead. Yep, that's a great suggestion except I don't ever know how I'm gonna feel after I smoke pot! I think that was an irresponsible recommendation. I'm all for integrative and holistic medicine but truly, that was not cool. I wanted to like it there for price and location but it just isn't the right place for me to have such a big and important experience. I now go to IV Solutions-costs more but worth every cent. Dr. Nandra asks thorough questions and everything is spotless and quiet. Freshly laundered blankets, fresh from the package eye mask etc and thin, painless needles. The waiting room is spacious and relaxing. I felt totally at ease in this more clinical, clean and I guess compassionate setting. Best of all I wasn't hustled out-I could take all the time I needed to come back down. I think innovative could succeed in a better space, but it isn't to be found on Sheffield! I'm glad I had both experiences, if nothing else than to share with people that are considering this undertaking. I HAVE HAD GREAT LUCK AT IV SOLUTIONS read more

At this time, the office does not employ a psychiatrist nor do they offer continuing evaluation by mental health staff. This appears to be Dr. Ortman's first job out of residency and she has zero experience with behavioural health (and appears to have zero insight about behavioural health patients). When I asked that the staff Psy D be consulted on my treatment plan, I was told that he was contract and only saw intake clients. I got a big, "No!" on that request. I do not believe it is safe medicine to be treating behavioural health patients by non-credentialed behavioural health practitioners. The office staff prods people through the doors, into and out of rooms like cattle. The walls do not block out staff and other noises. It isn't the positive or peaceful environment that is necessary for the ketamine experience and the staff is not well informed to care for the specific needs of behavioral health patients. For depression, anxiety or other psychiatric needs, stay away from here & seek treatment somewhere else!! read more

Be careful what you sign during the consultation. After spending time filling out papers, was told my insurance was not on their list . However I was still called in to talk to a doctor no longer than 10 minutes. Received a bill for $250.00 . Not bad pay for 10 minutes of work. They gave me a "discount" if I paid immediately. I can't be the only person this happened to. read more

I've had a very good experience here, the staff was very accommodating to my needs; so can't explain any very negative comments. This treatment probably isn't for everyone as it is a bit unorthodox, but in my case, the medications were no longer working ;especially for my acute migraines. Had a problem with my PTSD also. I haven't had a migraine since I completed my 2 week treatment, and this after having 1 or 2 migraines a week. I realize not all cases have the same results, but in my case my migraines and PTSD symptoms and depression were significantly better. With the earphones on I never heard anything from adjoining rooms, and I can't think of any improvements. The doctors were very helpful and answered any questions I had. And they take insurance. This was a win-win deal for me.....I hesitated writing this review as I wanted to see how long the results would last...So far, so good...I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this place to anyone who has had poor results with prescription meds,...But , like I say, this is an unusual but in my case, effective treatment... I was not paid or otherwise compensated for this review read more

Wonderful helpful. I had lost hope. With the help of innovative Ketamine, I got my life back

The doctors and staff were wonderful and caring. It really helped me and I would recommend anyone with severe anxiety try this out. I have been way less dependent on medication. read more

Very compassionate staff. Dramatic results. It has my highest recommendation. Something those inflicted with depression should explore.

Receiving treatments at Innovative Ketamine radically changed the course of my life. I had been disabled by chronic illness for four years and I can safely say that receiving ketamine treatments at Innovative Ketamine over two weeks in Sept., 2018 was a decisive turning point in my healing journey. I mostly live in Los Angeles and have been to two different clinics in LA since then for ketamine treatments. There is a reason why I now fly back to Chicago to receive treatments at Innovative. The staff are thorough, caring, and grounding during the entire process. The chairs are by far and away the most comfortable chairs I've been in during an infusion. I love that they give you noise cancelling headphones although you can bring your own of course. The music they recommend is so soothing and really helps me relax during the process. And they take insurance which no one in Los Angeles does. (How much you get reimbursed depends on your insurance but still! A little something is better than nothing!) I also appreciate how the doctors initiated conversations with me about making changes in my life in order to support all the benefits from the infusions. If you're nervous, just know they will walk you through the process and really listen to and address your questions and concerns. I cannot recommend this office and these treatments enough. read more