Spravato® is a brand-name form of nasal esketamine. Esketamine is a drug that has been used medically for decades, but Spravato® has only been approved for use in patients with depression and related conditions since March of 2019. This review aims to provide a clearer definition of Spravato® with insights into what it is effective in treating.
It is helpful to understand the types of conditions Spravato can treat. These conditions primarily include treatment-resistant depression (TRD), major depressive disorder (MDD), major depressive disorder with suicidal ideation (MDSI), drug use disorder, and drug addiction.
Spravato is primarily used to treat patients who are diagnosed by a mental health professional with treatment-resistant depression, also called TRD. This condition simply refers to patients with depression who have not seen an improvement in their symptoms despite professional treatment intervention. Treatments that may have tried and failed include oral antidepressants and psychotherapy. Spravato is almost exclusively used to assist with these other forms of treatment, rather than serve as the only means of addressing treatment-resistant depression.
Major depressive disorder, also called clinical depression, is perhaps the most commonly diagnosed depression condition and affects more than 16 million Americans each year. It can be described as a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest. There are many different causes of major depressive disorder, and determining the cause or onset of the condition is often an important part of psychiatric treatment. In most cases, Spravato is recommended when major depressive disorder does not improve through other methods of treatment, in which it case it becomes treatment-resistant depression. Some categorize major depressive disorder with suicidal ideation (MDSI) separately from MDD.
Spravato does not state that nasal esketamine can treat drug use disorder and drug addiction directly. However, some psychiatrists find that patients see improvement in their ability to resist drug use and ultimately decrease the patient’s cravings to use drugs with Spravato treatment, specifically in cases where the patient with drug use disorder or drug addiction also struggles with depression that contributes to their drug use.
Anyone who experiences symptoms of depression or has received a depression or mood disorder diagnosis that Spravato can treat should consider a visit with a psychiatrist. During the visit, the psychiatrist can determine the exact cause of the symptoms and explain Spravato treatment in greater detail. If treatment is right for the patient, then the psychiatrist can write them a script for Spravato as a part of a larger treatment plan that may involve psychotherapy and other treatment solutions.
If you have symptoms of depression, have been diagnosed with treatment-resistant depression or clinical depression, or have issues with drug abuse, then consult with our psychiatry team. We can arrange a time for you to visit with us for a consultation, during which we can discuss treatment options.
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