What to Expect at Your First SPRAVATO® (Esketamine) Treatment

SPRAVATO®, or esketamine therapy, is the first and only FDA-approved nasal spray for adults with treatment-resistant depression – a groundbreaking solution that can provide rapid relief from symptoms. If you have tried at least two different antidepressants and your symptoms persist, this innovative treatment may be right for you.

Your Esketamine Therapy Consultation and Assessment

The first step in esketamine treatment is your initial consultation with a mental health provider. At LiveWell Counseling, our mental health providers will conduct a comprehensive assessment to determine if esketamine therapy is right for you.

This assessment will include:

• Reviewing your medical background: You’ll go over your medical and mental health history, including any past treatments and how effective they were.
• Discussing your current symptoms: You’ll talk about the symptoms you’re experiencing now, how intense they are, and how they affect your everyday activities.
• Setting treatment goals: You and the provider will establish realistic goals for your treatment and determine a treatment plan to meet those goals. It’s important to stick to your prescribed treatment plan – missing sessions may reduce the effectiveness of your therapy.

How to Prepare for Esketamine Therapy

• Refrain from eating for at least two hours and from drinking liquids for at least 30 minutes before treatment.
• If you take a nasal corticosteroid or nasal decongestant medication, do so at least one hour before your treatment
• Wear casual, loose-fitting clothing so that you are comfortable relaxing in our reclining chairs during your treatment session.
• You may bring headphones, a book or a journal, or a laptop to stay occupied and help you relax during your session.

Your First Session

1. When you arrive for your first treatment at LiveWell, you’ll be led to our calming lounge, which features lavender aromatherapy, cozy chairs, and soothing ambient music to create a comfortable, relaxing environment to ease anxiety.
2. A nurse will be there with you during the administration of the spray and for the monitoring period.
3. Before you administer the spray, the nurse practitioner will check your vital signs.
4. You will self-administer the SPRAVATO® nasal spray under the supervision of one of our providers or nurses. They will guide you on how to use the nasal spray device and answer all your questions.
5. After administering the spray, you will remain in the treatment lounge for about two hours to monitor your vitals and any side effects, which are generally mild. You may experience a sense of dissociation or lightheadedness, which is normal and usually subsides quickly.
6. After the observation period, your vital signs will be checked to ensure you are ready to go home.
7. Because you may still feel drowsy or slightly disoriented after the monitoring period, you are not permitted to drive yourself home. If you do not have a ride home planned, we will arrange a ride for you through a ride-sharing service (within a certain mile radius).

Benefits of Esketamine Therapy

• It provides rapid relief: Esketamine begins to work immediately and continues to improve symptoms through the course of treatment. Overall treatment time lasts approximately 8 to 10 weeks, but there is no limit on how long you can continue treatment. Many patients continue treatment indefinitely, as you would on oral medication. Continued treatment is very individual and may be once a week or a few times a month, based on response and symptom control.
• It’s one of the only therapies that’s effective for TRD: Esketamine is one of the only FDA-approved noninvasive therapies that has consistently shown, in multiple studies, to improve symptoms for those with treatment-resistant depression.
• It helps combat long-term damage: Untreated depression causes excessive and continuous stress on the brain and body, which has been linked to an increased risk of dementia and various chronic medical illnesses. Esketamine therapy works by repairing the damaged connections in the brain and reducing the long-term harmful effects of continued depression and stress.
• Side effects usually subside quickly: Most side effects of esketamine therapy are mild (if they occur at all) and subside within several hours after treatment.

Esketamine Therapy at LiveWell Counseling

Christian Health now offers SPRAVATO® in our comfortable, calming lounge, where clients can self-administer the nasal spray under the supervision of our board-certified psychiatrists and nurses.

To learn more, please call (201) 848-5800 or visit ChristianHealthNJ.info/Spravato. This innovative treatment is covered by most insurance providers.