If you have been dealing with depression that just will not go awaym, no matter how many medications you’ve tried, you are not alone. Many people reach a point where they feel stuck and wonder if there is anything left to try. That is when a lot of folks first hear about Spravato. It has been getting a lot of attention lately, and for good reason.
But one of the first questions we often hear is: How many weeks long is a Spravato treatment? Is it a one-time thing? A few weeks? Is it something you’ll be doing forever?
Let us walk through it together.
Spravato is the brand name for esketamine, a nasal spray approved by the FDA in 2019 for adults with treatment-resistant depression, which means you have tried at least two different antidepressants without seeing enough improvement (FDA, 2019).
Unlike traditional antidepressants, which mostly work on serotonin or norepinephrine, Spravato targets a different chemical in the brain called glutamate. Glutamate plays a key role in how brain cells communicate with each other, and changing its activity seems to help reset some of the circuits involved in mood regulation (Zarate et al., 2006). Many people feel some improvement in symptoms within a few hours or days, even if other medications have not worked for them before.
Because Spravato is a powerful medication with potential side effects like dizziness or dissociation, you cannot take it at home. Instead, you come into a certified clinic, use the nasal spray yourself under supervision, and stay for at least two hours while staff monitor you.
Spravato is not a quick fix, but it is not something you have to do forever either. Treatment happens in two main phases:
Most people come in twice a week for four weeks, so that is eight sessions total in the first phase.
During this time, your provider will check in with you about how you are feeling. The lucky ones notice a difference after just one or two sessions. Others need a little more time before they start to feel better. Either way, the goal is to give your brain enough time to respond.
If Spravato seems to be helping, you will usually move into a maintenance schedule. At first, that often means coming in once a week. After a few more weeks, many patients are able to taper down to once every two weeks, depending on how stable their mood is.
This part of the treatment can last a few more months, or even longer. The key is that it is flexible. Your provider will work with you to decide what makes sense based on how you are doing.
Spravato is always your choice. No one will make you continue treatment if it is not helping or if you are experiencing side effects you are not comfortable with. That said, experts recommend giving it time to work, most people need at least a few sessions to feel a real shift. If it does help, you and your provider can decide together how long to continue and when to start tapering off.
If you are still asking, how many weeks long is a Spravato treatment, the best way to get answers tailored to your needs is through a personalized consultation. At Memorial Park Psychiatry, our experienced team is here to guide you through every step of the process, whether you are just starting out or ready to begin.
Contact us today to schedule a consultation and find out if Spravato is the right treatment path for you.