What is Esketamine Treatment?
Patients with treatment resistant depression no longer have to be trapped in a dead end. Esketamine is new revolutionary treatment that alleviates major depressive disorder – at times, within only hours. Esketamine is hailed as a completely innovative treatment that has helped a great number of individuals enjoy their lives without looking through a lens of depression.
Now you must be wondering, what exactly is this new revolutionary medication? Esketamine is drawn from another drug called ketamine. Ketamine has had a long-standing history of treating depression. However, the alternate form, esketamine, is much more intense and effective at reversing most symptoms associated with major depressive bouts. The advantage of having a more potent drug is that you can take a much lower dose, which in return, will cause a great decrease in any side effects a patient may experience.
Additional Benefits of Esketamine Treatment
In addition to being a phenomenal drug in treating resistant depression, esketamine also has several other remarkable benefits. Esketamine is an extremely fast acting drug that contrasts with most anti-depressant medications. Most anti-depressant medications take an upwards of a couple of weeks to have an effect. Esketamine takes only a few hours.
Research also suggests that Esketamine is able to counteract the harmful effects depression has on the brain. Over a period of extended stress, connections between brain cells become hindered. Esketamine has shown to ‘rejoin’ these connections, demonstrating a growth-promoting impact. Therefore, Esketamine not only alleviates effects of illnesses but also reverses the damage it has done over an extended period of time.
Possible Side Effects
Patients can encounter a broad range of side effects from esketamine treatment. The most unusual symptoms are the feeling of being out of reality and hallucinations. However, these limited side effects usually tip at 40 minutes of administration and dissipate within two hours.
Though short-lived, you can expect the worst bouts of side effects the first two times you receive the treatment. It will become much more muted in subsequent treatments. Some side effects to look out for after administration of therapy are:
- Increase in blood pressure
- Nauseousness
- Lethargy
- Intense onset of headaches
About 33% of people suffering from major depressive disorder lack a response to traditional kinds of antidepressants. Esketamine is a prescription nasal spray used in combination with an oral antidepressant to treat depression, especially for those who have been diagnosed with treatment-resistant depression (TRD). TRD is diagnosed when a patient has tried at least two different antidepressants for at least six weeks without improvement.
Side Effects of Esketamine
It’s clinically proven that esketamine can reduce depressive symptoms after only four weeks, but it still comes with risks that may occur during and after taking the medication. Common side effects include:
- Heavy sedation
- Dissociation
- Numbness
- High blood pressure lasting about four hours
- An increase in suicidal thoughts
Due to the potentially extreme side effects of esketamine, it must be self-administered under the direct supervision of a healthcare provider.
Treatment Process
Once you have discussed the risks and benefits of esketamine with your doctor and chosen it as the best treatment option, you can begin the process as soon as your second visit. There are essential steps that need to be taken to ensure a higher probability of successful treatment. Typically, the administering of medication will be twice a week for the first four weeks, once a week for the following month, and then once a week or biweekly.
Pre-Treatment
- Plan a ride: You will feel heavily sedated with a reduction in alertness, and therefore, unable to drive or operate any type of machinery.
- No food or drink before: You may experience nausea and vomiting after a dosage, so be sure to refrain from eating or drinking at least two hours before your scheduled treatment.
- Your healthcare provider will ask questions about your current state of mental health and other medications you may be taking.
Treatment
- You will receive two nasal spray devices, each with one spray per nostril, at a 45-degree angle.
- Wait five minutes to allow the medication time to absorb.
- Spray the second device, one spray in each nostril.
Post-Treatment
- During your first month, you will take the medication twice a week with a two-hour monitoring after each session and an evaluation at the end of the month.
- After that, you will take it weekly or biweekly, in addition to your prescribed oral antidepressant.
- Through continued evaluation and conversation with your doctor, your dosage may continue to decrease.
- Be sure to tell your doctor about any complications or symptoms you may be experiencing during or after treatment. They will share any activities that may not be safe for the rest of the day following a dosage.
Esketamine (Spravato) Treatment in Walpole, MA
These lists are not fully comprehensive and should be talked over with your trusted medical provider. Esketamine can be rewarding for those struggling with depression that seems to never end. You deserve to have a life where you can enjoy all of life’s precious moments. We can help get you there. Give Neuro Behavioral Center in Walpole, Massachusetts, a call at (508) 660-1666, or schedule an appointment online.
If you are experiencing any symptoms of depression that are not subsiding with medications you have tried or want to learn more about the specifics of this treatment, consult with the physicians at Neuro Behavioral Center in Walpole, MA, to check your eligibility and suitability for esketamine treatment. Give us a call at (508) 660-1666.
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