Depression affects how you think, feel, sleep, work, and connect with the people around you. Your symptoms may improve with therapy, lifestyle changes, or traditional antidepressant medications. But sometimes your symptoms continue even after trying more than one medication. When this happens, it is called treatment-resistant depression.
At The Nexus Group, your treatment plan may include outpatient services, psychopharmacology and medication management, TMS, and SPRAVATO. These options give you more than one path forward when depression has been difficult to treat. During your consultation, we willll discuss the benefits of SPRAVATO for treating depression in Pittsburgh to reduce your symptoms.
SPRAVATO is the brand name for esketamine, a prescription nasal spray used to treat adults with depression who have met specific criteria. It is also FDA-approved for adults with depressive symptoms and major depressive disorder with acute suicidal thoughts or behavior. SPRAVATO is given in a certified healthcare setting, not taken home, because you must be monitored after each treatment.
Unlike many traditional antidepressants used in Pittsburgh, which focus on serotonin, norepinephrine, or dopamine, one of the benefits of SPRAVATO for treating depression is that it works on the brain’s glutamate system. This different pathway may be helpful for people who have not responded well to standard medication approaches.
One of the main benefits of SPRAVATO in Pittsburgh is that it offers another option when depression has not improved enough with previous antidepressants. For our patients who feel discouraged after trying multiple medications, having a different treatment approach can be meaningful.
SPRAVATO may help reduce depressive symptoms, improve mood, and support a stronger overall treatment plan. You can receive it along with an oral antidepressant, or you may be a candidate for SPRAVATO as a standalone treatment for treatment-resistant depression, depending on your needs and medical history.
SPRAVATO treatment is carefully supervised. During each visit, you self-administer the nasal spray under the direction of a trained healthcare professional. Afterward, you stay in the office for monitoring, usually for at least two hours. This allows our care team to watch for side effects like sleepiness, dizziness, dissociation, increased blood pressure, nausea, or other temporary reactions.
This is often reassuring because treatment does not happen at home alone. You receive support before, during, and after each session.
SPRAVATO is not the only treatment option for depression, and it may not be the right one for you. That is why a thoughtful evaluation matters. At The Nexus Group, outpatient psychiatric care can include medication management, TMS, SPRAVATO, or a combination of services based on your symptoms, treatment history, health needs, and goals.
Medication management can help adjust or refine your prescriptions. TMS may be considered for patients who prefer a non-drug treatment approach or have not responded to medication. SPRAVATO may be recommended when a different medication pathway is appropriate.
If depression has continued despite treatment, you do not have to assume that nothing will help. SPRAVATO may offer a new option, especially if you have tried multiple antidepressants without enough improvement.
The best next step is to schedule an appointment with a qualified psychiatric provider at The Nexus Group. During your appointment, we can review your history, explain the risks and benefits, and help determine what outpatient service may be the right fit. We answer all your questions, including those about the benefits of SPRAVATO for treating depression in Pittsburgh, and other treatments that may help alleviate your symptoms.
