People who suffer from treatment-resistant depression often describe experiencing life through a gray haze. When other treatments do not work to relieve your symptoms, finding a way forward becomes extremely tiring and lonely.
However, residents of Waxahachie, the surrounding areas of Texas, and elsewhere now have access to a cutting-edge treatment that is finally giving people hope: Spravato (esketamine) nasal spray.
Spravato is a prescription medication that, when used in conjunction with an oral antidepressant, is effective in the treatment of adults suffering from treatment-resistant depression.
Spravato works using a completely different mechanism than traditional antidepressants and, for this reason, provides a different therapeutic option for patients who have not experienced success using traditional methods.
In this guide, we will explain the science behind Spravato in an easy-to-understand format and help you determine whether or not this treatment would be appropriate for you.
💉 What is Spravato and How is it Different?
The FDA has approved Spravato (esketamine) as a prescription medication delivered via nasal spray for adults suffering from TRD.
Diagnosing TRD occurs when a person does not respond adequately to at least 2 types/doses and schedule of medication used to treat depression with an antidepressant.
Unlike the typical, longer-acting antidepressants, patients often begin to experience improvement in their depression symptoms soon after using Spravato.
This is due to the distinct way Spravato works on your brain compared to other types of antidepressant medications.
Traditional Antidepressants
Typical antidepressants usually boost brain chemicals such as serotonin, norepinephrine, or dopamine. They target the brain’s monoamine system.
Spravato (Esketamine)
Now, Spravato (Esketamine) is different. It affects the glutamate system. Glutamate is everywhere in the brain and is very important for brain cell chats.
By going after a different route, Spravato gives another choice when other treatments don’t help.
💊 Discover a New Path to Relief
🔬 The Science of Spravato Explained Simply
To get how Spravato does its thing, imagine your brain’s got all these paths, sort of like city streets.
If you’ve been feeling down for a long while, some of these paths might get blocked or messed up, which makes it hard for brain cells to chat with each other.
Spravato aims at a specific spot, called the NMDA receptor, on those brain cells. Basically, this is what goes down:
- ✓ A New Path: Spravato assists in boosting the amount of glutamate in your brain, quickly.
- ✓ Repairing Connections: That kick of glutamate gets other spots going, which then sets off molecules that assist your brain in making fresh links between cells. Sort of like helping your brain create new streets and mend the old ones.
- ✓ Improved Communication: These fresh links, synapses, permit brain cells to talk better. This thing, synaptogenesis, is likely a big cause for why Spravato can quickly lift your mood and cut down on feeling down.
So, Spravato assists in rewiring the parts of your brain messed up by the blues, getting things working and talking like they should.
👩⚕️ What to Expect During Spravato Treatment
Since Spravato has some quirks and possible side stuff, you can’t just grab it from the drugstore and use it at home. A doctor needs to keep an eye on you in a certified clinic when you take it.
Here’s how a usual treatment goes:
- ✓ Before Your Session: Don’t eat for at least two hours or drink anything for at least 30 minutes before your appointment. Also, you need to set up a ride home because you won’t be able to drive or operate heavy stuff for the rest of the day.
- ✓ Administration: At the clinic, a doctor will show you how to work the nasal spray thing. Then, you spray it up your nose yourself.
- ✓ Monitoring Period: After you take Spravato, chill out in a comfy, private spot at the clinic for at least two hours. The medical folks will watch you for any side stuff, like your blood pressure changing, feeling dizzy, or feeling disconnected from yourself.
- ✓ Going Home: Once they’re done watching you and the doctor says you’re good to go, your ride will take you home. Plan to chill and rest for the rest of the day.
Usually, you’ll get two treatments a week for the first month. After that, how often you get it will depend on how you’re doing.
⚕️ Who is a Good Candidate for Spravato?
Spravato is for grown-ups who have tough-to-treat depression. Your doctor will check you out to see if it’s a good choice, going over your health and mental health history, plus what treatments you’ve already tried. It’s not for everyone and you have to meet certain health requirements.
🏥 Everts Psychiatry & Family Medicine: Certified Spravato Treatment Center
In our communities of Waxahachie, Mansfield, Cedar Hills, Lancaster, and the hometown of Duncanville, it is important that our citizens have access to a certified and experienced provider of Spravato.
Everts Psychiatry & Family Medicine, as a certified Spravato treatment centre, is proud to provide our community with an opportunity to receive this revolutionary therapy in a safe, supportive, and medically responsible manner.
At Everts, our experienced medical team is committed to delivering care with the utmost professionalism.
They are trained to provide both the administration of Spravato as well as the management of all aspects of your care using the highest degree of medical competency available.
We understand the unique needs of our patients who suffer from treatment-resistant depression, and we will work with you to create an individualised treatment plan that meets your needs and helps you through every step of the process, with compassion and support.
If you have struggled with depression and have not found success with traditional methods, there is now an opportunity to find hope.
Please contact Everts Psychiatry & Family Medicine today to find out if Spravato is a good choice for you.
- ✓ Email: Info@evertshealth.com
- ✓ Phone: (469)-868-6250
- ✓ Visit Us: 102 E. Danieldale Rd. Suite 101, Duncanville, TX 75137
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Where can I find Spravato treatment near Waxahachie, TX?
The Everts Psychiatry & Family Medicine clinic located in Duncanville, TX (just outside of Dallas), has been certified as a Spravato clinic. We serve patients located in Waxahachie, TX, as well as the surrounding Towns of Duncanville, Mansfield and the other Cities near Duncanville, TX.
2. Is Spravato treatment painful?
No. Spravato is a nasal spray and therefore not a painful administration method. After the administration is complete, the Monitoring that follows involves resting peacefully in our quiet and calm environment.
3. How quickly does Spravato work for depression?
Each patient has varying results with regards to how quickly the medication will work for them. However, for some patients that receive their first dose of Spravato, they may begin to see improvements within Hours to Days.
4. Can I drive myself home after a Spravato session?
You will need to have someone else drive you home from your appointment, as it is against the law to operate a motor vehicle for the entire day after receiving a dose of Spravato Treatment.
In addition, you are warned against operating heavy machinery or making any important decisions after receiving a spravato treatment.
