Ketamine for OCD: What's the Research Say?

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is no joke. If you live with it—or care about someone who does—you know how exhausting and relentless it can be. Obsessions hit like a storm, spinning your thoughts out of control. Then come the rituals—checking, washing, counting, or replaying things over and over in your head—just to feel even a little “okay” again.

For years, the most common treatments have been SSRIs (a type of antidepressant) and Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) therapy. And to be fair, they help a lot of people. But not everyone responds. Some people try everything and still feel stuck in the same exhausting loop.

That’s where ketamine enters the picture. You might know it as a party drug or an anesthetic used in hospitals, but researchers have been exploring it as a potential treatment for OCD—and the early results are promising. The research gives a glimpse of who might benefit and what to watch out for.

What Is Ketamine, Exactly?

Ketamine was originally developed in the 1960s as a powerful anesthetic. It’s still used in hospitals and emergency rooms today for pain and sedation. In lower doses, though, it’s been studied as a fast-acting treatment for depression, suicidal thoughts, PTSD—and now, OCD.

Unlike typical antidepressants that take weeks to kick in, ketamine starts working within hours for some people. That speed alone has caught the attention of doctors who treat hard-to-manage mental health conditions.

Ketamine works by affecting glutamate, a major chemical in your brain linked to mood and thought regulation. Researchers believe it helps reset the brain's patterns and reduce the overactive loops that cause obsessive thoughts (Rodriguez et al., 2013).

What the Research Says About Ketamine for OCD

Ketamine and esketamine are showing promise as new options for people whose OCD or other mental health conditions haven’t improved with standard treatments. Scientists are still learning exactly how these drugs work in the brain, but early evidence suggests they can help “reset” overactive thought patterns and make therapy more effective (Martinotti et al., 2021).

For OCD, small studies are encouraging. One study at Columbia University found that a single ketamine infusion could reduce obsessive thoughts within hours, and some participants felt symptom-free for up to a week (Rodriguez et al., 2013). Botteman and colleagues argue that repeated ketamine doses, when paired with therapy like Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), has the potential to give patients a “window of relief” to really engage with treatment (Bottemanne, Arnould, & Arnould, 2021).

It’s not a cure, and the effects don’t usually last on their own—but when combined with therapy, ketamine may offer a meaningful boost for people struggling with OCD.

Real Talk: Pros and Cons

Let’s look at the good and the not-so-good when it comes to using ketamine for OCD.

Pros

• Fast relief: Some people feel better within hours or days—not weeks.
• Helps when other stuff doesn’t: If SSRIs and therapy haven’t worked, ketamine might give your brain a fresh start.
• Can boost therapy: Feeling calmer or less obsessed can make it easier to do exposure work in ERP.
• Low risk of addiction when medically supervised: Ketamine has abuse potential, but in clinical settings with controlled doses, it’s considered relatively safe (Le et al., 2022).

Cons

• Short-term effects: Relief doesn’t always last. You may need maintenance doses, which aren’t covered by all insurance plans.
• Side effects: These can include dizziness, nausea, blurred vision, or feeling “spaced out.” Some people describe it as a “floaty” or detached sensation.
• Not a cure: Ketamine helps manage symptoms, but it won’t make OCD go away by itself.
• Cost and access: Clinics offering ketamine treatment can be expensive, and not all of them specialize in OCD.

Who Might Be a Good Candidate?

Ketamine isn’t for everyone—but it could be a good option if:

• You’ve tried multiple SSRIs and therapy without lasting results.
• Your OCD symptoms are severe and keeping you from functioning in daily life.
• You have treatment-resistant depression along with OCD.
• You’re working with a provider who understands both ketamine protocols and OCD treatment.
• You’re stable and not currently dealing with psychosis, uncontrolled high blood pressure, or active substance abuse (these can be risk factors for bad reactions to ketamine).

Let’s say you’ve been doing ERP for months but can’t even get past the first few exposures because your anxiety is too high. Ketamine might help reduce the emotional overload just enough to make therapy doable. Or maybe your brain feels stuck in a constant loop of “what ifs,” and nothing’s helping. A ketamine infusion could create that brief mental reset that gives you space to breathe and reflect.

But if you’re someone who struggles with substance misuse or has a history of addiction, ketamine might not be the safest first step. Always talk with your provider about risks, benefits, and your full mental health picture.

What Does a Ketamine Session Actually Look Like?

Most people get ketamine in a clinic, where a trained professional monitors everything. You sit in a comfy chair or bed while the medication is given through an IV, lozenge, nasal spray, or sometimes an injection. A typical session lasts about 40 minutes to an hour.

You might feel a little disconnected or lightheaded, and some people describe it as “watching your thoughts from far away.” That might sound weird, but for someone with OCD, that distance can actually be kind of freeing.

After the session, you rest for a bit, then head home (you’ll need someone to drive you). Clinics usually recommend a few sessions over a couple of weeks, depending on how you respond.

More and more centers are starting to offer this, especially ketamine-assisted therapy, where you process the experience afterward with a licensed therapist. That combo—medicine + therapy—is often where the real magic happens.

Best Practices and Safety Tips

If you’re thinking about trying ketamine, keep these tips in mind:

• Only go to licensed clinics: Don’t mess around with sketchy places offering "cheap" infusions. You want trained staff who know how to handle both OCD and mental health emergencies.
• Use it as part of a full treatment plan: Think of ketamine as a tool, not the whole toolbox. ERP, lifestyle changes, and medication (if needed) still matter.
• Track your symptoms: Journaling how you feel before and after each session can help you and your doctor figure out what’s working.
• Don’t expect a miracle: It can help, but it’s not instant magic. Be realistic about your goals.
• Talk with a provider who gets OCD: OCD is different from depression. You need someone who understands your specific symptoms and what progress really looks like.

Important Factors to Consider

If you’re thinking about ketamine as a treatment for OCD, there are a few key points to keep in mind. First, ketamine is not officially approved by the FDA for psychiatric use, including OCD. When it is used for OCD it is prescribed “off-label,” which is legal as long as it’s done under proper medical supervision.

That said, off-label use isn’t risk-free. Ketamine can cause side effects like sedation, dissociation, and even addiction. Its psychoactive effects—like feeling detached from reality or experiencing euphoria—can lead some people to misuse it, and repeated use can increase tolerance and dependence (American Addictions Center, 2025) As mentioned previously, the risk has been found to be quite low, but not zero. 

Another important thing to remember is that research on ketamine for OCD is still very limited. Most studies so far are small, short-term, and exploratory. Early results suggest it might help reduce OCD symptoms quickly, but we don’t yet know how safe or effective it is over the long term, or what the best dosing schedule might be. Because of all these factors, it’s crucial to talk with a qualified healthcare provider who can weigh the potential benefits against the risks before considering ketamine as a treatment option (U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2023).

Final Thoughts: Is Ketamine Worth Trying?

If your OCD is stubborn and you’ve already tried therapy and meds with little success, ketamine could be worth exploring. It’s not for everyone, and it’s not a cure—but for some people, it offers a break in the storm. And sometimes, that break is enough to get real momentum going in your recovery.

If you're feeling stuck and wondering what else is out there, check out StopOCD.com. They understand the complexity of OCD, including new treatments like ketamine. Whether you need help figuring out your next step or want to explore therapy options that actually work, StopOCD.com is a solid place to start.

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer for OCD—but there is hope. And you deserve to feel better.

References 

1. Rodriguez, C. I., Kegeles, L. S., Levinson, A., Feng, T., Marcus, S. M., Vermes, D., Flood, P., & Simpson, H. B. (2013). Randomized controlled crossover trial of ketamine in obsessive-compulsive disorder: Proof-of-concept. Neuropsychopharmacology, 38(12), 2475–2483. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23783065
2. Martinotti, G., Chiappini, S., Pettorruso, M., Mosca, A., Miuli, A., Di Carlo, F., D’Andrea, G., Collevecchio, R., Di Muzio, I., Sensi, S. L., & Di Giannantonio, M. (2021). Therapeutic potentials of ketamine and esketamine in obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD), substance use disorders (SUD) and eating disorders (ED): A review of the current literature. Brain Sciences, 11(7), 856. https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/11/7/856 
3. Bottemanne, H., & Arnould, A. (2021). Ketamine Augmentation of Exposure Response Prevention Therapy for Obsessive-compulsive Disorder. Innovations in Clinical Neuroscience, 18(10-12), 9. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8794478/
4. Thompson, S. L., Welch, A. C., Iourinets, J., & Dulawa, S. C. (2020). Ketamine induces immediate and delayed alterations of OCD-like behavior. Psychopharmacology, 237(3), 627–638. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31927606/
5. Le, T. T., Cordero, I. P., Jawad, M. Y., Swainson, J., Di Vincenzo, J. D., Jaberi, S., ... & Johnston, J. N. (2022). The abuse liability of ketamine: A scoping review of preclinical and clinical studies. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 151, 476–496. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2022.07.016
6. Beaglehole, B., Glue, P., Neehoff, S., Shadli, S., McNaughton, N., Kimber, B., Muirhead, C., Day-Brown, R., & Hughes-Medlicott, N. J. (2024). Ketamine for treatment-resistant obsessive-compulsive disorder: Double-blind active-controlled crossover study. Journal of Psychopharmacology (Oxford, England), 39(1), 23. https://doi.org/10.1177/02698811241301215
7. Dore, J., Turnipseed, B., Dwyer, S., Turnipseed, A., Andries, J., Ascani, G., … Wolfson, P. (2019). Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy for treatment-resistant depression: A clinical report. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 51(2), 189–198.
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8. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (2023, October 10). FDA warns patients and health care providers about potential risks associated with compounded ketamine products, including oral formulations, for the treatment of psychiatric disorders. https://www.fda.gov/drugs/human-drug-compounding/fda-warns-patients-and-health-care-providers-about-potential-risks-associated-compounded-ketamine
9. American Addiction Centers. (2025, April 17). Ketamine Abuse: Addiction, Effects, and Treatment. Retrieved from https://americanaddictioncenters.org/ketamine-abuse