If you or someone you care about has been diagnosed with major depressive disorder (MDD) and hasn’t responded well to antidepressant medications, you may consider Spravato treatment.
But what is Spravato treatment? Some may be hesitant to consider the groundbreaking therapy because it’s ketamine-based. However, the medication used is a Schedule III drug like acetaminophen (Tylenol) with codeine and is not very addictive. Spravato treatment produces effective results within hours of drug administration, and the difference is seen mainly in treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Contact Alleviant Jonesboro today if you’re searching for a Spravato treatment program in Jonesboro, Arkansas. Call 870.657.0337 or contact our team online.
What Is Spravato Treatment Used for?
What is Spravato treatment, and how can it help? In 2019, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved esketamine (Spravato) treatment for patients diagnosed with TRD. Esketamine is a form of ketamine. In veterinary care, ketamine is used for its anesthetic, analgesic, and pain-relieving effects. While it can be used for medical purposes by humans, it’s well-known as an addictive substance and can also be used as a date-rape drug.
Spravato is in the form of a nasal spray, which makes administration easy, although the FDA recommends that it should be administered by medical professionals only. That’s why esketamine is available only through physician’s clinics or offices through a risk evaluation and mitigation strategy (REMS) program.
Again, Spravato is used for what is known as TRD or treatment-refractory depression, a type of MDD. Because MDD is a serious and life-threatening disorder affecting approximately seven percent of American adults, cases also TRD are alarming. Spravato treatment is the last resort for people struggling with TRD. In some cases, this type of treatment can be life-saving.
How Does Spravato Treatment Work?
Now that you know what esketamine is, you may wonder how the Spravato treatment works. Does it work immediately, or does a patient need several doses to determine whether it works on them? Most antidepressant drugs don’t work right away. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) typically take two to eight weeks to work. Spravato is different because patients usually feel the effects of esketamine right away.
When delivered through a nose spray, esketamine takes on depression by immediately impacting brain cells and providing relief from depressive symptoms. However, as recommended by the FDA, Spravato treatment must be combined with an oral antidepressant drug. It can take a patient anywhere from a couple of hours to a couple of days to start to notice a difference after a Spravato dose. However, Spravato treatments combined with oral antidepressants are still fast-acting compared to the conventional use of only antidepressant drugs.
What Sets Spravato Treatment Apart from Other Treatment Options?
Standard antidepressant drugs increase the naturally-occurring chemicals in your body, such as dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin, and enhance communication between brain cells. Esketamine follows the same path but also increases glutamate levels, the most abundant chemical messenger in the brain. This difference results in a more significant impact on more brain cells at once.
According to Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, the manufacturer of Spravato, patients undergoing Spravato treatment are 70% less likely to experience a relapse of depressive symptoms. A Yale University study found that 65% of its participants experienced a 50% or more significant reduction in depressive symptoms by the end of their Spravato treatment. Some side effects of Spravato treatment include the following:
- Dizziness
- Drowsiness
- Feelings similar to being drunk
- Headaches
- Increased blood pressure
- Nausea
Extreme side effects can include feeling disconnected from oneself and one’s surroundings and experiencing hallucinations. For this reason, Spravato treatments must be administered under medical professionals’ supervision.
When Should You Consider a Spravato Treatment Program?
Currently, esketamine is approved only for patients struggling with TRD. This means that you and your mental health care provider should only consider Spravato treatment if you’ve already tried at least two other antidepressant drugs for a minimum of six weeks each and haven’t experienced at least a 50% improvement in mood. You may also want to consider Spravato if you’ve tried antidepressant medications and:
- They’ve stopped working altogether
- They worked for a while but then stopped being effective
- They caused intolerable side effects that made you stop taking them
If any of the above describes your experience with traditional antidepressants, you and your provider may want to discuss the possibility of esketamine therapy.
Ready to Learn More About Alleviant Jonesboro’s Spravato Treatment Program?
A Spravato treatment program can be helpful for people who suffer from depression and other mental health conditions. Alleviant Jonesboro’s Spravato treatment program offers many benefits for those struggling with mental health conditions. Our program is designed to help you heal from your illness while providing the tools and resources you need to manage your symptoms and live a happy, healthy life. Some of the benefits of our Spravato treatment program include:
- Safe and effective treatment option for depression and other mental health conditions
- A team of experienced and compassionate mental health professionals to help you through your healing
- A comprehensive approach to treatment that includes individual, group, and family therapy
- Evidence-based treatments that are proven to be effective in helping mental health conditions
- Caring and supportive environment
Contact Alleviant Jonesboro today if you’re looking for a Spravato treatment program in Jonesboro, Arkansas. Reach out to our team online or call 870.657.0337.