SPRAVATO (esketamine) treatment is an exciting new avenue for helping people overcome major depressive disorder, providing a new sense of hope for people who have tried other depression treatment options without success. Yet many people seeking clinical mental health services are unsure about whether SPRAVATO treatment is right for them, how this new treatment option works, or whether they’d be better suited to more conventional treatment methods.
If you’d like to learn more about SPRAVATO Treatment, reach out to Active Path today and book an appointment.
Understanding SPRAVATO Treatment
SPRAVATO is an FDA-approved medication for adults with treatment-resistant depression. This new medication works very differently than a traditional oral antidepressant and can produce rapid reductions in depressive symptoms after just a single treatment session for certain individuals.
SPRAVATO is a nasal spray that contains a medication called esketamine, which works as an NMDA receptor agonist within the brain. NMDA receptors are what the neurotransmitter glutamate binds to, which is the brain’s primary excitatory neurotransmitter.
Essentially, SPRAVATO makes it easier for glutamate to reach these receptors, making certain brain regions more excitable or active. For people experiencing treatment-resistant depression, this can quickly lead to a feeling of dramatic symptom relief that lasts for weeks or months.
While the exact mechanism of how SPRAVATO works is still being investigated, there have already been several clinical trials showing that patients treated with SPRAVATO experience rapid improvements in symptoms.
The SPRAVATO Treatment Process
SPRAVATO treatment is a simple outpatient procedure.
Patients need to be on an oral antidepressant before they qualify for Spravato and while they are in treatment. Spravato is an augmentation. As such, clients meet with a mental health professional who can determine if SPRAVATO is the right medication for their needs, and whether there are any contraindications that may prevent them from seeking this treatment option.
The treatment process itself involves clients self-administering SPRAVATO using a nasal spray device. SPRAVATO is a potent medication and may create effects such as:
- A feeling of disassociation
- Sedation
- Increased blood pressure
- Disorientation
These effects are common and expected, and clients are carefully monitored by healthcare professionals for approximately two hours after they have administered the nasal spray. Our team will carefully observe you throughout this period for any adverse side effects and will be there to support you if you’re experiencing any challenges as a result of taking the medication.
In order to experience the full reduction in depression symptoms from this medication, clients will typically receive a SPRAVATO dose twice a week for four weeks, then once a week for the next four weeks.
Who is SPRAVATO For?
SPRAVATO is primarily used to help people with treatment-resistant depression, defined as people who have tried two or more antidepressant medications without success. Much of the research supporting SPRAVATO is focused on this population and shows that SPRAVATO can be highly effective even when other treatment methods have failed in the past.
In some cases, SPRAVATO may be recommended for people who are experiencing major depressive disorder with active suicidal ideation. Since SPRAVATO works much quicker than other antidepressants, it can help reduce this life-threatening symptom much more rapidly.
Other Depression Treatment Options
As beneficial as SPRAVATO may be, it’s not always the best choice for people with co-occurring medical conditions. Other evidence-based methods to treat depression may include:
- Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation: Another FDA-approved method of treating treatment-resistant depression
- Psychotherapy: Talk-therapy approaches such as cognitive behavioral therapy are highly effective for treating major depression
- Medication Management: This supports people in trying multiple different medication options and provides long-term medication support
For people with serious adverse outcomes from depression, combining multiple evidence-based treatment options can often be the most effective approach. Determining which is right for you is a decision to make with your mental health provider, who can collaborate with you to find the treatment plan that best fits your unique needs.
Start Depression Treatment at Active Path
Active Path is committed to providing our clients with the highest quality of mental health services to help them achieve recovery from depression once and for all. Call our team today at 503.719.4648 or fill out our confidential online contact form for a free, no-obligation consultation with one of our members of intake and start your path to lasting depression relief today.
Start your path to recovery with innovative and effective treatment at Active Path today.
