Spravato

For people living with depression, Southern Live Oak Wellness offers a variety of treatments. However, in cases where a person’s depression has proven resistant to common medications and treatments, Southern Live Oak Wellness offers Spravato in Atlanta. Spravato is a nasal spray therapy for treatment-resistant depression. It helps with depressive major disorder and suicidal thoughts or actions. Read on to find out if Spravato treatment in Atlanta is right for someone or their loved one.

FDA-approved medications like citalopram (sold under the brand name Celexa), paroxetine (Paxil), and sertraline (Zoloft) are prescribed alongside therapies like cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) to ease the most severe symptoms of a patient’s major depressive disorder while addressing the source of their depressive feelings and behaviors.

However, a significant segment of people living with major depressive disorder do not respond well to this treatment approach. These people have treatment-resistant depression (TRD). In fact, a 2015 study published by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) found that one-third of people living with major depressive disorder have TRD.

What is Treatment-Resistant Depression (TRD)?

Millions of Americans receiving treatment for depression benefit from some combination of prescription medication and psychotherapy to reduce their symptoms. Treatment-resistant depression is depression that has not responded to at least two different antidepressant treatments. Perhaps the most devastating thing about TRD is that it compounds the feelings of hopelessness and isolation that characterize depression.

TRD is easy to misdiagnose. For instance, medical professionals sometimes prescribe the wrong dosage of antidepressant medication. This leads the patient to think their depression is resistant to treatment.

Also, patients sometimes forget to pack their medications when traveling. Sometimes, people simply tire of taking their medications. In fact, someone might think their treatment has failed them when all they need is an adjustment.

Rule out the following three possibilities before considering if TRD is present:

• Someone is taking the wrong antidepressants or the wrong dosage. Everyone’s medication threshold is different, but most doctors recommend trying up to four antidepressants from different classes to find a match. Typically, patients will start off with a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) Lexapro or Zoloft. Next, they move on to a selective serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) like Cymbalta, Pristiq, or Fetzima. If that doesn’t work, more high-level combinations are tried out. It’s not uncommon for someone to reach the correct antidepressant medication regimen after months of experimentation.
• Other medications are interfering with antidepressants. Medications like blood pressure medicine, antibiotics, and steroids have been known to speed up enzymes, which in turn can cause one’s antidepressants to metabolize too quickly. Proper medication management should be well-established before jumping to any conclusions.
• Other conditions. Conditions like hypothyroidism, chronic pain, hormone imbalances, arthritis, diabetes, and addiction can cause depression, or else intensify its symptoms. If addressing any physical issues that may be contributing to depressive symptoms, then TRD may be the case.

For those with TRD, Southern Live Oak Wellness offers a variety of treatment approaches. One of these approaches is Spravato.

What is Spravato?

Spravato is a physician-supervised nasal spray therapy. It treats treatment-resistant depression and major depressive disorder with suicidal thoughts or actions. The nasal spray is used alongside an oral antidepressant. Made by Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Spravato is the brand name for nasal esketamine.

Taken with an oral antidepressant, it is the first prescription nasal spray for adults with treatment-resistant depression. Due to its potential for abuse—esketamine is derived from ketamine, after all—Spravato must only be administered by a licensed medical professional.

Though its exact mechanism of action remains unknown, research suggests Spravato works by targeting the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor. This plays a role in the brain’s ability to regulate mood. Meanwhile, new synapses are created to alleviate the most severe symptoms of major depressive disorder.

What is Esketamine?

Esketamine comes from ketamine. Ketamine first came into clinical practice in the 1960s as an anesthetic, then as a behavioral health treatment a decade later. It was around this time that ketamine became a “party drug,” due to its hallucinogenic properties. Additionally, esketamine and ketamine have similar chemical makeups, with esketamine being the more potent substance.

Side Effects of Spravato

Some people have reported experiencing side effects after taking Spravato, the most being mild hallucinations and a vague feeling of disconnection. Therefore, one should not drive, operate machinery, or do anything requiring complete alertness until the next day after a good night’s sleep.

Other side effects include:

• Increased blood pressure
• Trouble urinating
• Dizziness or nausea
• Anxiety
• Sleepiness or lack of energy
• Feeling “drunk”
• Happiness or excitement

Side effects tend to peak within 40 minutes of treatment and wear off within two hours. Medical professionals monitor the patient for at least two hours after administering Spravato.

How Many Spravato Treatments Are Needed?

To get the most out of one Spravato treatment, several sessions should be scheduled. A typical Spravato treatment program might require three sessions pre-week for up to six weeks. Also, the occasional booster session may be necessary, once initial treatment starts to show results.

Find Help for Depression with Spravato Treatment in Atlanta, GA

If you or a loved one suffer the symptoms of clinical depression or treatment-resistant depression, there are options for relief. At Southern Live Oak Wellness, we administer Spravato in Atlanta.

If you are unable to find relief from your major depressive disorder with traditional medications and therapies, contact us today.