If you’ve been receiving treatment for depression for several months and haven’t seen any improvement, Spravato might be worth considering. Depression can cause severe emotional distress and low mood, making it difficult for patients to lead normal lives. In some cases, patients may even consider suicide due to the intensity of their depression. While talk therapies and antidepressant medication can help many people recover from depression, some patients don’t respond to these treatments or experience unpleasant side effects from medication. If you’re in this position, your SBBH psychiatrist might recommend Spravato as a treatment option.

Spravato is a form of ketamine therapy that is straightforward and easy to use. It is administered through a nasal spray and is effective in treating depression. Our psychiatrist can help you determine if Spravato is the best option for you.

Almost all insurance providers will cover Spravato if they deem the patient to meets the criteria for treatment. We pre-authorize every patient before treatment to ensure they will know the cost ahead of time.

Our psychiatrist will determine how much Spravato the patient will take and when they will take it.

Spravato is self-administered as a nasal spray, under the supervision of a healthcare provider in a healthcare setting. The use of the nasal spray will be demonstrated to the patient.

Some patients experience nausea and vomiting with Spravato. It is recommended to avoid eating for at least 2 hours and drinking liquids at least 30 minutes before treatments.

If a patient uses a nasal corticosteroid or a nasal decongestant, they should take those medicines at least 1 hour before taking Spravato.

During and after each use of the Spravato nasal spray device, the patient will be checked by a healthcare provider who will decide when they are ready to leave the healthcare setting.

The patient will need to plan for a caregiver or family member to drive them home after each of the Spravato esketamine treatments.

Most commonly seen side effects of Spravato are: dissociation, dizziness, nausea, sedation, spinning sensation, reduced sense of touch and sensation, anxiety, lack of energy, increased blood pressure, vomiting, and feeling drunk.

The most serious side effects Spravato can cause include:

• Increased blood pressure: Spravato can cause a temporary increase in your blood pressure that may last for about 4 hours after taking a dose. Your provider will check your blood pressure before taking Spravato and for at least 2 hours after. Please notify your provider immediately if you experience chest pain, shortness of breath, sudden severe headache, change in vision, or seizures after taking Spravato.

• Problems with thinking clearly: Please notify your healthcare provider if you have issues thinking or remembering.

• Bladder problems: Please notify your healthcare provider if you experience issues urinating, such as a frequent or urgent need to urinate, pain when urinating, or urinating frequently at night.

If you have concerns regarding other rare side effects of Spravato, our psychiatrist will go over them with you during the initial consultation.

Activities are not recommended until the next day – following a restful night sleep.

Do not drive, operate machinery, or perform any action that requires absolute alertness after taking Spravato.

• Aneurysmal vascular (blood vessel) disease

• Arteriovenous malformation – an abnormal connection between your veins and arteries

• History of brain bleeds

• Serious cardiac, liver, kidney, or respiratory conditions

• Allergic history with esketamine, ketamine, or any of the other ingredients in Spravato.

Please talk to your primary healthcare provider if you have concerns about any of the stated conditions.

Please reference Janssen Pharmaceuticals’ Prescribing Information and Medication Guide or visit SPRAVATO official website.

If you are a patient, please talk with your primary mental health provider for more information.