Why You May Feel Tired After Ketamine Treatment

It’s common to feel a bit tired after ketamine therapy, but everyone’s experience is different.

Some patients feel energized and clear-headed shortly after treatment, while others may notice fatigue as their brain and body process the session. Most people feel back to normal after a good night’s sleep, but some may need more time to fully recover. 

Staying hydrated, resting, and practicing self-care can support your recovery. Be patient with yourself—your body is doing important healing work.

How Ketamine Works

The Mental Side

Ketamine works by disrupting and rewiring the brain’s neural pathways, specifically by boosting glutamate levels to encourage neuroplasticity. That’s science for “your brain is working overtime.” 

Processing new thoughts, emotions, and perceptions burns mental energy. It’s like your mind just pulled an all-nighter reorganizing the filing cabinet. No wonder you’re wiped out.

Then there’s the dissociation. Ketamine often detaches you from your surroundings, thoughts, and even your body. This state can be deeply therapeutic—helping you face things without panic—but mentally, it’s a workout. Coming back to baseline feels like waking up from an intense dream, mentally foggy and drained.

Add to that the emotional processing. Ketamine can stir up buried feelings and unresolved thoughts. Sorting through all that, consciously or not, demands energy. And that work doesn’t stop when the session ends. In the days that follow, your brain is quietly stitching together insights and emotions. Integration requires mental resources, even if you can’t feel it happening.

Ketamine and Your Body

All of this can leave your body scrambling to regain balance, which drains your energy reserves.

And let’s not forget the build-up. Anticipation—whether it’s anxiety or excitement—can sap energy before you even sit in the treatment chair. Then, once the session is over, the tension releases, and your body collapses into that post-stress slump.

There’s also the basics: hydration, nutrition, rest. Skipping meals, not drinking enough water, or jumping back into your routine too quickly only makes the fatigue worse. Your body needs support to recover from something this intensive.

Next Steps

So, what can you do? 

Rest. 

Seriously—give yourself permission to take it slow. Book your sessions on days when you can go home and relax. Drink water, eat well, and skip the caffeine and alcohol. Move gently—try stretching or walking instead of hitting the gym. And if you feel up to it, try mindfulness or journaling to help process the experience.

Most importantly, be patient with yourself. Fatigue is part of the healing process, not a setback. Your brain and body are doing deep, difficult work. Let them. And if exhaustion lingers or feels overwhelming, check in with your provider. They can help adjust your treatment or offer ways to ease the fatigue.

Healing isn’t linear. Sometimes, it looks like lying on the couch, staring at the ceiling. That’s okay. Give yourself grace. Rest is part of the work.