SPRAVATO® for Treatment-Resistant Depression
Depression can make it difficult to handle life’s everyday responsibilities. Many patients know they need treatment but struggle to pursue it. It’s a frustrating cycle that becomes more stressful when treatment fails to provide the results you need.
The board-certified clinicians at My TMS Therapy administer SPRAVATO® — a nasal spray that compounds with your antidepressants to relieve symptoms when other methods leave you without results.
What Is SPRAVATO®?
SPRAVATO® is a nasal spray that the FDA approved to treat adults with TRD. The spray operates in conjuncture with your other antidepressants and treatment approaches to provide fast relief and work toward the long-term reduction of symptoms.
SPRAVATO® spray contains esketamine, a variant of the anesthetic ketamine. Professionals note that esketamine targets the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor and increases levels of glutamate, the most abundant neurotransmitter (chemical messenger) in the brain.
The FDA classifies SPRAVATO® as a Schedule III drug, so treatment must occur under professional supervision in a certified Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies (REMS) center.
The Treatment Process
When you pursue SPRAVATO® treatment with My TMS Therapy, you’ll visit our REMS-certified treatment center. Our medical professionals here will oversee the process and ensure your safety. You’ll take three doses of SPRAVATO® nasal spray a few minutes apart. The esketamine will work its way into your bloodstream, where it can provide rapid relief from your symptoms and enhance your other medication’s effects.
We’ll keep you in the office for a couple of hours, as you may experience some disorienting side effects. SPRAVATO® is an outpatient treatment, so you’ll be free to return home after the observation period. However, side effects may persist for hours after the treatment. You will not be able to drive or operate machinery until the next day.
You’ll receive SPRAVATO® treatment twice a week during your first month, once a week during the second month then once every week or two in the following months. Continue to take your other antidepressants according to your doctor’s recommendations during your treatment period.
Benefits of SPRAVATO®
Patients choose SPRAVATO® because it provides unique benefits over other medications. For one, you’ll experience immediate symptom relief, as well as long-term benefits. A clinical trial showed that SPRAVATO® patients experienced improvements at the four-week mark compared to the placebo group. Another significant benefit is that esketamine is safer than ketamine for depression treatment. Esketamine is a more potent ketamine variant that doctors can administer in smaller doses for positive results.
Side Effects
SPRAVATO® might result in a few side effects during and after treatment. Patients may experience feelings of dissociation, or disconnection from their thoughts, feelings and experience. Other common symptoms include dizziness, increased blood pressure, nausea, feeling tired or drunk, numbness or low sensitivity, anxiety, sluggishness or elation.
You’ll receive SPRAVATO® treatment twice a week during your first month, once a week during the second month then once every week or two in the following months. Continue to take your other antidepressants according to your doctor’s recommendations during your treatment period.
What Makes SPRAVATO® Different from Other Treatment Plans?
Researchers are still working to understand the science behind SPRAVATO®‘s benefits. Other antidepressants increase serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine and similar natural transmitters. The esketamine in SPVRATO® is thought to increase glutamate levels while also inhibiting the brain’s N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors.
Esketamine functions similarly to ketamine but features a different treatment method. While doctors administer ketamine intravenously, esketamine is a nasal spray. Ketamine is FDA-approved as an anesthetic but has no current clearance as a depression treatment. SPRAVATO®‘s FDA approval means there is more existing research on its benefits and safety as a treatment for TRD, and there is more potential for future studies.
Could SPRAVATO® Work for Me?
SPRAVATO® treatment may be a viable path forward if you experience treatment-resistant depression. Clinical trials show that SPRAVATO® treatment resulted in lower depression after four weeks among the control group than the placebo group. Clinical trials also show that SPRAVATO® patients were less likely to see their symptoms return after 16 weeks. Patients in these studies continued to take other antidepressants during the process.
Consult with your healthcare provider to see if SPRAVATO® is right for you. You should not take SPRAVATO® if you have a ketamine or esketamine allergy, blood vessel disease or connection abnormality or a history of brain hemorrhages. Discuss alcohol or prescription drug abuse with your doctor before taking SPRAVATO®.
Patients who are pregnant, breastfeeding or plan to become pregnant should not take SPRAVATO®. Inform your doctor immediately if you become pregnant during the treatment period.
Make an Appointment
SPRAVATO® (esketamine) CIII nasal spray has made a significant difference in patients’ lives, and it may help you find the relief you need. We encourage you to request an appointment to speak with the medical professionals at My TMS Therapy about SPRAVATO® as a remedy for your treatment-resistant depression.
For adults with treatment-resistant depression
If you’ve tried two or more antidepressants* and are still struggling with depressive symptoms, talk to your doctor to see if you may have treatment-resistant depression.
For depressive symptoms in adults with MDD with suicidal thoughts or actions
Taken along with an oral antidepressant:
SPRAVATO® is the first nasal spray
medication that treats depressive symptoms in adults with major depressive disorder with suicidal thoughts or actions.
In clinical studies of adults with MDD with suicidal thoughts or actions:
Those who took SPRAVATO® and an oral antidepressant experienced a greater reduction of depressive symptoms at 24 hours compared to those who took a placebo plus an oral antidepressant.*
*Based on an overall score on a standardized rating scale.
Make An Appointment
We know that getting help for a mental health condition like depression can feel overwhelming. We also know that with the appropriate care, those with depression can live happy, healthy lives. Fill out the form below and one of our administrative professionals will be in touch with you shortly.
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