If you are dealing with depression that just will not lift, no matter what you try, you are not alone. You may have already been through several antidepressants, spent hours in therapy, made changes to your routine, and still feel stuck. That kind of exhaustion and discouragement can be overwhelming. You start to wonder if anything will actually help.
Spravato has been specifically approved for people with treatment-resistant depression. That means you have already tried at least two antidepressants that did not work well for you. Spravato takes a different approach from typical medications. It is designed to work faster and in a new way to help restore some of the brain activity that may be missing when you are stuck in depression. If you want to better understand how Spravato works, we will help explain what makes this treatment unique.
Spravato is esketamine that is administered via a nasal spray. How Spravato is administered is a big part of why it works. As a nasal spray, the medication enters the bloodstream rapidly, and its effects may begin right away. For this reason, Spravato is administered in a controlled treatment setting at our clinic rather than at home. Patients self-administer the spray under the supervision of trained staff. If symptoms respond, the frequency of visits typically decreases over time.
Because Spravato is taken under medical supervision, you are never left on your own. A trained provider stays with you throughout the session. We monitor your response, check in with you, and help you stay comfortable the entire time.
Spravato is not just another pill. It works differently from almost every other antidepressant you have heard of. That is what makes it such an important option for treatment-resistant depression.
Most antidepressants work by changing the levels of chemicals like serotonin, dopamine, or norepinephrine. Spravato works on a chemical called glutamate. Glutamate is involved in how your brain builds new connections and repairs old ones. When you are depressed, especially for a long time, those connections can weaken. Spravato helps restart that repair process.
One of the most challenging aspects of starting a new antidepressant is the delay in noticeable effects, many require four to six weeks before any change occurs. Spravato may begin to take effect within hours or days. Some individuals report improvement during the first week. This faster onset of action has the potential to significantly impact quality of life.
Spravato helps support something called neuroplasticity. That is your brain’s ability to grow and adapt. In depression, this process can slow down. With Spravato, your brain may begin to create new pathways that help you feel more motivated, more stable, and more hopeful.
Living with depression that does not respond to typical treatment can be draining. It makes you feel like you are doing everything right, but still getting nowhere. If you have been through two or more medications and have not found real relief, learning how Spravato works might be the first step toward something new. This treatment works in a different part of the brain and may help you feel better faster than what you have tried before.
If you are ready to try something that actually works differently, our team is here to help. Call our office today to find out if Spravato could be the right fit for you. We will walk you through every step of the process, answer your questions, and help you feel supported at every visit.