Spravato™

If your depression doesn’t improve with antidepressants or you start thinking about suicide, you may get rapid symptom relief with Spravato®. Elia Gonzalez-Rodriguez, MD, and the team at Pacific Phoenix TMS offer Spravato at two locations in Vancouver, Washington. Spravato typically improves your symptoms in 24 hours and may work even faster for some people. Call the nearest office or request an appointment today to learn more about this effective therapy for treatment-resistant depression and depression with suicidal thoughts.

What is Spravato?

Spravato is an FDA-approved nasal spray containing a medication called esketamine. Esketamine provides rapid symptom relief for people with treatment-resistant depression or major depressive disorder with suicidal thoughts or behaviors.

As Spravato is absorbed through your nose and into your bloodstream, it quickly reaches your brain. Once in your brain, the medication increases neurotransmitters essential for improving and regulating your mood.

How do I get Spravato?

To be considered for Spravato, you must be diagnosed with treatment-resistant depression or major depressive disorder with suicidal tendencies. That means the first step is scheduling an appointment so they can carefully evaluate your physical and mental health.

If your provider diagnoses major depression and verifies you’re thinking about  suicide, they could prescribe Spravato immediately. However, their treatment recommendations may include a range of options, depending on the severity of your symptoms and your treatment history.

Before your provider can diagnose treatment-resistant depression, they must verify you have major depressive disorder. Then they learn about your prior treatment with antidepressants and determine if you need to begin antidepressant therapy. 

You can only be diagnosed with treatment-resistant depression after you take two (or more) antidepressants and the medications fail to improve your symptoms. Unfortunately, this problem is common. About one-third of people with depression don’t respond to antidepressants.

What should I expect during Spravato treatment?

Unlike most medications, you don’t take Spravato at home. You can only take it in the office under the supervision of the Pacific Phoenix TMS team. After you spray Spravato into your nose, you relax in a calm, private treatment room while they closely monitor your response to the medication.

This extra level of care is vital because Spravato may cause side effects like dizziness, sleepiness, anxiety, or disassociation (feeling disconnected from your thoughts and feelings).

You’ll need to have someone drive you home from the office. You should also plan to relax for the rest of the day and avoid activities that require sharp mental alertness (like driving). By the next day, you can return to all your usual activities.

Spravato typically produces fast results. Most patients find their symptoms improve within 24 hours and sometimes even faster.

If you struggle with depression or think about suicide, call Pacific Phoenix TMS or book online today to learn if Spravato may help you.