Spravato® (esketamine) is a nasal spray treatment that can be helpful when dealing with treatment-resistant depression. The spray can work as a standalone treatment or complement an oral antidepressant.
Mental health professionals tend to prescribe esketamine nasal spray for its speed and effectiveness. It can treat the symptoms of depression in a matter of minutes. Patients who rely on oral antidepressants can use it to treat their symptoms before the oral drugs kick in.
Nerve endings work like the leads of a car battery, transmitting electricity through a chemical. Instead of battery acid, though, nerve endings rely on compounds known as neurotransmitters. The medical community refers to the composition of the neurotransmitters in the brain as brain chemistry. Three main neurotransmitters regulate mood and emotional response in the brain:
People who suffer from depression can have an imbalance of these chemicals, which explains the symptoms that they experience. Antidepressants work to correct the imbalance and improve the brain’s ability to regulate mood and emotion. Unfortunately, antidepressant drugs will not work for everyone.
This is where less-conventional treatments like esketamine come into play. Esketamine works by increasing glutamate, a fourth type of neurotransmitter. Glutamate regulates learning and memory, which means that the brain needs and makes large amounts of it. An increase in glutamate causes an increase in neural activity, which heightens the symptoms of depression.
Spravato® treatment takes place under the medical supervision of a doctor or mental health professional. This way, the patient can have someone with medical training to deal with potential side effects from the medication.
The treatment is simple, and all that a patient needs to do is use one dose of the nasal spray every five minutes. Most patients will need three doses of the spray in a single treatment.
Esketamine nasal spray treatments like Spravato® are fast-acting and effective. This therapy improves a patient’s mood regulation as the patient pursues long-term treatment for depression. The positive effects of the treatment can include an increase in glutamate levels, which leads to the creation of new neural paths, leading to an increase in brain activity. This, in turn, leads to an uptick in the production and release of beneficial neurotransmitters. This translates to a considerable improvement of brain function and mood regulation.
In other words, the treatment tackles many of the symptoms that come with depression. Esketamine can also decrease the frequency of suicidal thoughts, which helps with severe depression.
Let us take a look at the answers to common questions about Spravato.
Unfortunately, Spravato treatments are generally not recommended for pregnant or breastfeeding people. Anyone who plans to treat their depression with Spravato should inform their doctor if they are breastfeeding, pregnant, or planning to become pregnant.
Effective contraceptives should be used by those of childbearing age when taking Spravato. If a person becomes pregnant during treatment with Spravato, they should discuss other treatment options with their doctor.
While Spravato is often an effective way to treat treatment-resistant depression, not all patients see noticeable improvements to their condition. Anyone who is not getting the desired results with Spravato should talk to their doctor about alternative ways to treat their depression.
Clinical studies found that patients who took Spravato for treatment-resistant depression typically saw improvements to their symptoms about four weeks after starting their treatments, compared to those who took a placebo nasal spray.
Yes, patients should avoid operating machinery and activities that require them to be alert until they have a full night’s rest after taking Spravato. This means patients need to arrange for transportation to and from the clinic on treatment days. They also have to plan their schedule because their ability to concentrate will be limited for the rest of the day.
If you suffer from treatment-resistant depression and anxiety, get in touch with our clinic to schedule an appointment and find out whether Spravato® is an option that can work for you.
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