Spravato® Esketamine Nasal Spray

What is Spravato® (Esketamine)?

Spravato® (Esketamine) is made from a drug called ketamine, derived from part of the ketamine molecule, which is an anesthetic that has also been used for many years to treat depression. But it wasn’t until recently that esketamine, a more potent version of ketamine, earned FDA approval specifically for use as a nasal spray for those with treatment-resistant depression.

What is Spravato® (Esketamine) Treatment Like?

Spravato® (Esketamine), like ketamine, has the potential to distort your perception during the first two hours after treatment, so it must be administered in a clinic setting. Treatment for esketamine nasal spray is done on an outpatient basis. Patients are not allowed to drive after treatment, so they are required to have pre-arranged transportation home.

With the nasal spray, you give yourself three doses, spaced five minutes apart, under the supervision of a trained technician. You remain in the clinic, in a private and relaxing space, under observation for 2 hours until potential side effects have passed.

Esketamine must be used in conjunction with a conventional antidepressant. The intention is that esketamine provides rapid relief from depression symptoms until the other medication takes effect.

How Does Spravato® (Esketamine) Treat Depression?

Spravato’s (Esketamine) antidepressant function works through a different mechanism than other drugs. Conventional antidepressants increase levels of naturally occurring chemicals such as serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine. These chemicals are messengers that relay communication between brain cells. The theory is that having greater quantities of these neurotransmitters allows for better communication between brain cells and positively affects mood.

Spravato® (Esketamine) works in a similar fashion, but unlike other antidepressants it increases levels of glutamate, the most abundant chemical messenger in the brain. The result? A greater impact on more brain cells at one time.

What is Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy?

Our Spravato® program also incorporates psychedelic-assisted therapy, where a patient will work with a trained psychotherapist within the same week they received their esketamine treatment. After the psychedelic experience, the focus at the next step is a process known as integration. These psychotherapy sessions are designed to help the individual process, make sense of, and find meaning in the psychedelic experience. Patients are advised to bring their awareness to thoughts, emotions, and memories. The psychedelic may deepen their insight into these experiences to facilitate change and personal growth.