There is hope for people with treatment-resistant depression who are looking for alternatives. Call The Prestige Clinic for your consultation to learn more about how SPRAVATO® treatment for depression in Allen, TX can help alleviate your symptoms and improve your quality of life. We offer multiple methods of mental health treatment so you can find the one that works.
Treatment-resistant depression is the term used to describe major depressive disorder (MDD) that has not improved after trying at least two antidepressant medications. Standard treatments that include medications like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and traditional talk therapy, fail to effectively relieve depression symptoms.
This can leave you experiencing prolonged periods of fatigue, hopelessness, low mood, and other symptoms that severely influence your daily life. While prescribed antidepressants are effective for some people, they are not effective for everyone. Treatment-resistant depression can affect up to 30% of people with depression. This creates a significant challenge for you and your mental health provider. The exact causes of treatment resistance are not known or fully understood. However, it is known there are some genetic factors and co-occurring disorders, such as substance abuse and high-stress levels, that can play a role.
Newer treatment options like esketamine nasal spray (SPRAVATO®) have had promising results, offering hope when you have not found relief using conventional methods.
Our Allen office offers SPRAVATO®, targets a different pathway in the brain than traditional antidepressants. Traditional SSRIs, such as Prozac or Zoloft, target chemical messengers in the brain called neurotransmitters. These are serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine. SPRAVATO® works by targeting the brain’s glutamate system, specifically the NMDA receptors.
SPRAVATO® is an NMDA receptor agonist that blocks these receptors, which helps increase the release of glutamate, a neurotransmitter associated with synaptic plasticity and overall brain connectivity. Increasing the levels of glutamate is believed to improve mood and reduce symptoms of depression relatively quickly.
While traditional antidepressants often take weeks to experience relief from depression symptoms, most people taking SPRAVATO® have demonstrated symptom relief within hours or days. This rapid action distinguishes the nasal spray from other depression treatments. SPRAVATO® is administered in conjunction with an oral antidepressant in a supervised clinical setting to ensure your safety and monitor your clinical reactions.
No, SPRAVATO® is not experimental. In 2019, the FDA approved the drug in conjunction with oral antidepressant medications for the treatment of adults with treatment-resistant depression.
There is some potential for abuse and misuse of the drug so it is only available through a restricted distribution system and must be administered by a certified medical office where healthcare providers can monitor you after administration. The efficacy of the drug was evaluated in four studies, during which the nasal spray demonstrated statistically significant effects compared to placebo.
After receiving SPRAVATO® at our Allen office, you must be monitored for several hours for some of the common side effects that can significantly impair your ability to function while driving, at work, or at home. These side effects may include dizziness, nausea, sedation, anxiety, lethargy, vomiting, and even feeling intoxicated.
These side effects can impair your ability to pay attention, reaction speed, judgment, and motor skills. You should not drive or operate machinery until the next day. Since SPRAVATO® can cause an increase in blood pressure, people with unstable or poorly controlled high blood pressure or a pre-existing aneurysmal vascular disorder are not good candidates for SPRAVATO®.
Treatment-resistant depression impairs your ability to function productively and significantly lowers your quality of life. When you’re looking for an alternative treatment that can help improve your symptoms alongside antidepressant medication, we encourage you to call our office and schedule your consultation to learn more about SPRAVATO® treatment in Allen.
