Spravato: The Nasal Spray That Combats Treatment-Resistant Depression

Roughly 7% of American adults will have a major depressive episode this year. Depression is a leading cause of disability worldwide, but many people either can’t get help, or traditional treatments don’t work for them. 

At Bowman Medical Group in Beverly Hills, California, Dr. Phillip Bowman and his team work with patients suffering from depression. Spravato®, a ketamine derivative, is a nasal spray that can help people with treatment resistant depression get their lives back.

It’s important to tell your doctor if you or anyone in your family has had substance abuse problems. Spravato can be problematic for people with addictive personalities, and there may be a different solution that is better for you. 

Spravato basics

Spravato is a brand name for esketamine. It is the newest FDA-approved drug for depression that has failed to respond to at least two other types of antidepressant medications, also known as “treatment resistant depression.”

Since Spravato is administered as a nasal spray, it is extremely fast acting. It activates a neurotransmitter called glutamate directly, instead of working on serotonin (like most oral antidepressants).  

Since the glutamate is instantly affected instead of waiting for serotonin levels to rise and trigger activation, results can happen in hours or days instead of weeks or months. This can be critical for people with severe depression who need relief fast.

Spravato administration

Dr. Bowman will carefully screen you and make sure you are a good candidate for Spravato before prescribing this medication. Spravato must be taken in conjunction with oral antidepressants, as you can only have a Spravato dose in our office with Dr. Bowman or another trained health provider present. 

Your oral antidepressants will provide a baseline for you, and Spravato will be scheduled and administered in our office as determined by your treatment plan. After each dose, you’ll have to stay in our office for at least two hours for observation, after which you’ll need someone to drive you home. You may feel dizzy or sleepy, and can’t drive or operate machinery until the following day. 

Dr. Bowman won’t prescribe Spravato if you have certain health conditions, like high blood pressure, heart disease, or liver disease. Make sure you provide any and all health information during your consultation so we can help make the safest choices for your health.

To find out more about Spravato, and learn if you’re a candidate to try this new fast-acting antidepressant, call our office at 310-982-7003 for a consultation or make an appointment online.