Spravato

When antidepressants fail to help your depression, or you think about suicide, don’t give up hope. You can still get rapid relief with a medication called SPRAVATO®. Holistic Behavioral & TMS Therapy in Aurora and Chicago, Illinois, is a certified treatment center for SPRAVATO, giving Lawrence Abah, PMHNP-BC, Pauline Bao Ling Soh, PA, and the team the ability to prescribe the medication and help you regain a life free from debilitating depression. To learn more about SPRAVATO, call the office or request an appointment online today.

What is SPRAVATO?

SPRAVATO is the brand name of a medication (esketamine) that rapidly improves symptoms in people with two mental health conditions: treatment-resistant depression (TRD) and major depressive disorder (MDD) with suicidal thoughts and/or behaviors.

After spraying SPRAVATO into your nose, the medication enters your bloodstream and quickly reaches your brain. Esketamine works significantly faster than traditional antidepressants because it targets a different neurotransmitter (brain chemical).

Instead of waiting weeks to see if an antidepressant works for you, SPRAVATO often improves depression within days.

You take SPRAVATO twice weekly at the start. Your Holistic Behavioral & TMS Therapy provider gradually tapers it down to once every week or two, with the treatment length varying for each person. While taking SPRAVATO, you also take oral antidepressants.

How can I get SPRAVATO for depression?

Your provider at Holistic Behavioral & TMS Therapy completes a psychiatric evaluation to determine if you have TRD or MDD with suicidal tendencies. You may have TRD if you’re diagnosed with MDD, and your symptoms have not improved after trying two or more antidepressants.

Your provider creates a customized treatment plan based on your diagnosis, symptom severity, and your past treatment history. For example, if you have MDD but haven’t taken antidepressants, your treatment begins with conventional medicines before they recommend SPRAVATO.

What happens during SPRAVATO treatment? 

SPRAVATO is different from most prescription medications because you must take it in the office under the supervision of the Holistic Behavioral & TMS Therapy team. Your provider shows you how to use medication; you spray it into your nose and relax while the team monitors your response.

That rigorous level of care ensures your health and safety. Esketamine is a potent medication that causes side effects for about 10-40% of patients. You may experience:

• Dizziness
• Nausea
• Vertigo
• Anxiety
• Sleepiness (sedation)
• Elated mood (euphoria)
• Drop in blood pressure
• Disassociation (feeling like you’re disconnected from your feelings and thoughts)

After taking SPRAVATO, you stay in the office for two hours. Any side effects you may experience will wear off by then. You should relax the rest of the day and limit your activities, avoiding any that require mental alertness (like driving). But you can plan to return to all your activities the next day. 

If you struggle with depression or think about suicide, don’t wait to seek help. Call Holistic Behavioral & TMS Therapy or request an appointment online to learn if SPRAVATO can ease your symptoms. 

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SPRAVATO® Patient Video: What to Expect During Your SPRAVATO® Treatment