November Innerbloom Newsletter
Nov 18, 2025 1:01 pm
November 2025
As Innerbloom prepares to briefly close for Thanksgiving week to complete our move to the new location (100 Casa St.), Libby and I are a little sad that we won’t be spending the holiday with family and friends this year. However, we’re also feeling incredibly grateful. Grateful that everything is coming together—just in time—to bring Innerbloom V2 to life, and grateful for all of you who’ve supported us and shown so much patience while we take this pause to get the new space ready.
Behind the scenes, Libby and I have also been quietly working on another project — and we’re finally ready to share it. It’s called Newy, but more on that later. Let's get to it!
🧬 Science
IV Ketamine for Chronic Pain
A new study from the Cleveland Clinic, the largest of its kind involving 1,034 patients, found that a series of 40-minute IV ketamine infusions led to improvements in pain, fatigue, and mood, with no serious adverse events reported. Many patients maintained these benefits at three- and six-month follow-ups.
These findings mirror what we observe daily at Innerbloom. Recently, a patient shared his story, mentioning how he found significant relief from postherpetic neuralgia—the intense nerve pain following shingles—after IV ketamine. It was very moving when he told me before his fifth infusion that he had woken up that morning for the first time in months without any pain!
🗞️ News
Mindbloom sued for wrongful death
While I usually like to keep these newsletters upbeat and light-hearted, I think it’s important to acknowledge the real risks of ketamine—especially when it’s used without medical supervision. Recently, a heartbreaking story came to light involving a 27-year-old named Phillip Ward, who died at home from ketamine toxicity after taking oral ketamine lozenges delivered to him by Mindbloom. His toxicology report showed a ketamine level roughly 50 times higher than what we typically use during a standard IV infusion in the clinic.
Tragically, Phillip’s medical history included contraindications, which should have excluded him from ketamine treatment to begin with. Although Mindbloom mailed him a blood pressure cuff, no clinician ever confirmed that he was using it. In fact, the cuff was found still in its unopened packaging after his death.
Phillip’s story is a reminder that ketamine used without proper screening, monitoring, and medical guardrails can carry serious risks. These safeguards aren’t meant to restrict access—they exist to keep people safe.
🌱 Newy
Over the past year, Libby and I have been working on something outside of Innerbloom—something born out of necessity. If you’ve been following this newsletter for a while, you know I’m deeply invested in all things health and wellness, supplements included. After endless research, it became clear that the perfect mental health supplement option didn't exist, so we decided to create our own.
Introducing Newy—a supplement designed to support brain health, whether used on its own or alongside ketamine or psychedelic-assisted therapies. My goal was to develop a formula that offers synergy and protective benefits for individuals undergoing ketamine treatment, with the hope of improving outcomes and extending the positive effects long after the sessions are completed.
The blend includes Agmatine Sulfate, a natural compound with a similar mechanism of action to ketamine, but without the psychoactive effects. We created something we feel confident recommending to our patients—and something we both personally take every day.
The ingredients in Newy have been rigorously tested for quality and safety, and each is included at the optimal therapeutic dose to ensure both effectiveness and tolerability. Our formula was produced in a GMP-certified, highly regulated facility in New York, so you can feel confident knowing it meets the highest standards of quality. Nope, we're not mixing this up at home on the weekends!
We’re incredibly excited to finally share this project and get Newy into people’s hands. We’ve already received some encouraging feedback. If you’re interested in trying it yourself, you can use the discount code Bloom50 for 50% off your first bottle.
💡 Innerbloom Recommendations
Shetty, before becoming a celebrity and entrepreneur, was once a monk himself. In this book, available as a free audiobook on Spotify Premium, he blends ancient monastic wisdom with modern psychology to teach us how to quiet the mind, break free from negativity, and live with greater purpose. He shows how simple habits like gratitude, mindfulness, service, and intention can reshape your daily life. It’s basically a practical guide to living more in the present—no monastery required.
📢 Stay Connected
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Thank You!
I appreciate your continued support and for taking the time to read! If you have questions, feedback, or topics you'd like to see covered, reply to this email. I would love to hear from you!
Warmly,
Ray Rivas, MD
Innerbloom Ketamine Therapy, PC
San Luis Obispo, CA
(805) 321-8471
