Have you been looking into Spravato treatment and don’t know where to find mental health services that offer it in Arkansas? Visit Alleviant Jonesboro’s Spravato treatment center or our other Alleviant locations at Fayetteville, Little Rock, and Rogers. We offer holistic and integrative services for clients with treatment-resistant issues, such as chronic pain disorders or depression.
Living with depression can often feel like a never-ending battle. Luckily, medication and therapy can help people manage depression symptoms. But sometimes, these depression treatments don’t seem to work. When a depression case is resistant to traditional treatment options, experts could recommend new intervention methods such as the Spravato treatment. If you’re searching for a Spravato treatment program in Jonesboro, Arkansas, reach out to Alleviant Jonesboro today by calling 870.657.0337 or contacting our team online.
What Is a Spravato Treatment Program?
Spravato treatment can also refer to as Spravato therapy. “Spravato” is the brand name of an FDA-approved prescription medication taken with an oral antidepressant used to treat adult clients struggling with treatment-resistant depression (TRD) or major depressive disorder (MDD). Spravato treatment can be an option for a client who also has suicidal thoughts or engages in self-harm.
Spravato’s generic name is esketamine, also known as S-ketamine. Esketamine is made from ketamine, a drug used for many years to treat depression. Since esketamine is more potent than ketamine, clients can experience the benefits of medication by lower doses of esketamine than they would need of ketamine. They may also experience fewer side effects. Spravato is a nasal spray that is said to provide relief from major depression within hours.
A Spravato treatment program’s specifics can vary based on a client’s needs. In general, the intervention includes three self-administered nasal spray doses spaced five minutes apart and under medical supervision. Spravato and conventional antidepressants are okay to use in conjunction with each other. In cases like the latter, esketamine relieves symptoms of depression while the antidepressant takes effect. Because of esketamine’s potential to distort perception, clients taking Spravato must remain under medical supervision until potential side effects have passed.
How Do Spravato Prescriptions Work?
Spravato prescriptions work differently than other medication therapies. Conventional antidepressant medication therapy increases levels of chemicals in the brain, such as dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin. These neurotransmitters initiate and regulate communication between various cells in the brain and help regulate moods.
Unfortunately, an estimated 33% of people struggling with depression don’t respond to these antidepressants. Esketamine works similarly, but unlike antidepressants, it increases glutamate, otherwise known as the most abundant neurotransmitter in the brain.
Glutamate is a powerful neurotransmitter that regulates learning and memory in the brain. As glutamate levels increase in the brain, the neurotransmitter excites brain cells. Glutamate also encourages the brain to memorize, learn, and become accustomed to the excited state of mind. This state helps to combat the symptoms of depression.
Studies show that a Spravato prescription can reduce symptoms of depression by:
- Decreasing suicidal thoughts – Even though many antidepressants help alleviate long-term depression, some increase suicidal thoughts at the beginning of treatment. Esketamine is the only drug besides lithium—a prescription treatment for bipolar disorder—that can effectively decrease suicidal thoughts.
- Supporting the brain by forming new connections – Untreated depression can cause long-term brain damage and increase the risk of dementia. Esketamine can help combat these harmful effects of depression, promoting brain cell growth and encouraging neurogenesis.
Should You Consider a Spravato Treatment in Jonesboro, AR?
The FDA has only approved Spravato treatment for people with treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Clients struggling with TRD that are ideal for Spravato treatment should have tried taking at least two other types of antidepressants for at least six weeks each and experienced less than a 50% improvement in their mood. However, Spravato treatment is only for adult clients. The FDA has not yet approved esketamine for children struggling with TRD.
Learn More About Alleviant Jonesboro’s Spravato Treatment Program in Jonesboro, AR
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.