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SPRAVATO® is the first FDA-approved treatment version of a drug commonly known as ketamine. Research has long suggested that ketamine can be used to treat chronic depression and it’s already being used as a treatment in other countries around the world. SPRAVATO® is taken as a nasal spray administered by a clinical therapist 12 times over an eight-week period during which the patient is closely monitored, and then as needed after the treatment concludes.
“SPRAVATO® is a great treatment option for patients who suffer from major depressive disorder, major depressive disorder with acute suicidal ideation, or behavior- and treatment-resistant depression,” says Karen Barber, treatment coordinator at CBHA. Mrs. Barber notes that CBHA patients who’ve received SPRAVATO® treatments are already seeing close to a 100 percent success rate in alleviating the worst symptoms of chronic depression.
For years, A.Z., a CBHA patient, woke up each morning depressed, and no medications previously prescribed helped her symptoms. She knew that depression ran in her family and when even EMS treatment wasn’t successful, she grew discouraged.
“Chronic depression took the joy out of my life,” A.Z. recalls. “It was very hard to get motivated to do anything.”
But since going through SPRAVATO® treatments at CBHA, her life has changed.
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For Adults with Treatment-Resistant Depression, New Treatment SPRAVATO® Offers Hope
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Connecticut Behavioral Health Associates
Sponsored by Connecticut Behavioral Health Associates, P.C.
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Living with chronic depression is like existing in a state of perpetual dislocation, the brightness of life dimmed, emotions muted, hope extinguished. Day after day, the only thought you can manage is not another day. As medications fail and past treatments only add new struggles, relief from this kind of daily distress feels impossible, a dream into which you can never arrive.
By Bassam Awwa, MD
Sponsored by
But innovative breakthroughs in treatment-resistant depression (TRD) are finally making relief a reality. SPRAVATO® (esketamine) is the new prescription medicine that, when used along with an antidepressant, effectively treats adults with treatment-resistant depression and adults who have depressive symptoms in major depressive disorder with suicidal thoughts or actions. And while this breakthrough FDA-approved treatment is currently scarce, those suffering from chronic depression in Connecticut have the opportunity to access SPRAVATO® through Connecticut Behavioral Health Associates (CBHA) at its Groton and Norwich locations.
What Is SPRAVATO®?
“SPRAVATO® has improved my life,” A.Z. says. “It has helped my general attitude and I now look forward to the future, which is something I hadn’t been experiencing prior to treatments.”
A.Z. admits to being skeptical at first because, until now, no other treatment for depression had seemed to work. During the eight-week treatment period, her depression was completely alleviated and, although it has returned since, its severity has decreased, allowing her to enjoy her life.
Now that major insurance companies, as well as Medicare and Medicaid, are accepting SPRAVATO,® the treatment is affordable and accessible. Requirements for coverage include at least two failed medication trials of anti-depressants and failed psycho-therapy trials in the current episode of depression.
By StoryStudio on August 8, 2022 11:19 AM
How SPRAVATO®
Treatment at CBHA Works
SPRAVATO® treatments at CBHA consist of 12 treatments over eight weeks: two sessions a week for four weeks, and then one session a week for four weeks after. Patients can continue afterwards—every week, or every other week, etc.—on an as-needed basis. It’s important that patients be driven to and from treatment, as the treatment can cause nausea and impair cognitive abilities. Patients are required to refrain from eating four hours before the treatments and drinking for two hours before the treatment. To further prevent nausea and vomiting, patients are advised to pre-medicate with an anti-nausea medication one hour prior to treatment with a prescription called in ahead of time to their personal pharmacy.
“Not all patients will feel sick during treatment,” Mrs. Barber explains, “however, it is a possibility that patients with a low tolerance to motion sickness could be susceptible to nausea and vomiting—although this is very rare. Patients should also hold off on medications the morning of treatment that could interact with SPRAVATO,® such as stimulant medications that can raise heart rates and blood pressure, and also abstain from any recreational drug use the day before, as it can stay in the patient’s system and interact with SPRAVATO® resulting in an adverse reaction such as disassociation or sedation.
While private sessions are available, SPRAVATO® is usually provided by treatment operators in a group setting, with other patients, so that patients can talk to one another about their stories and experiences.
“At the beginning, I was very anxious, but over time I have adjusted well to my group,” says A.Z. who recently went through SPRAVATO® therapy. “After SPRAVATO,® nothing seems quite as scary or unmanageable as it used to. I was able to mend some very important relationships in my life as well as enjoy simple day-to-day activities.”
Side effects are possible when taking SPRAVATO.® SPRAVATO® can cause sleepiness, fainting, dizziness, a spinning sensation, anxiety, or a feeling of being disconnected from yourself, your thoughts, feelings, space, and time. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you feel like you cannot stay awake or if you feel like you are going to pass out. Your healthcare provider must monitor you for serious side effects for at least two hours after taking SPRAVATO.® Your healthcare provider will decide when you are ready to leave the healthcare setting.
SPRAVATO® can also cause an increase in your blood pressure. Your healthcare provider will check your blood pressure before taking SPRAVATO® and for at least two hours after. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get chest pain, shortness of breath, sudden severe headache, change in vision, or seizures after taking SPRAVATO.® You may also notice problems with thinking clearly. Tell your healthcare provider if you have problems thinking or remembering. Finally, bladder problems are possible. Tell your healthcare provider if you develop trouble urinating, such as a frequent or urgent need to urinate, pain when urinating, or urinating frequently at night.
Be advised, as with all antidepressant medications, that SPRAVATO® may cause an increased risk of suicidal thoughts and actions, especially within the first few months of treatment or when the dose is changed.
What to Know About SPRAVATO®
SPRAVATO® is not for use in children.
Do not take SPRAVATO® if you have blood vessel (aneurysmal vascular) disease (including in the brain, chest, abdominal aorta, arms, or legs), an abnormal connection between your veins and arteries (arteriovenous malformation), a history of bleeding in the brain, or are allergic to esketamine, ketamine, or any of the other ingredients in SPRAVATO.® If you are not sure if you have any of the above conditions, talk to your healthcare provider about your concerns before taking SPRAVATO.®
As with all serious medications, tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions before taking SPRAVATO,® including if you have heart or brain problems, high blood pressure (hypertension), slow or fast heartbeats that cause shortness of breath, chest pain, lightheadedness, fainting, a history of heart attack, history of stroke, history of heart valve disease or heart failure, history of brain injury or any condition where there is increased pressure in the brain, liver problems, history of psychosis (seeing, feeling, or hearing things that aren’t there, or believing in things that are not true).
Don’t use SPRAVATO® if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. SPRAVATO® may harm your baby. Do not take SPRAVATO® if you are breastfeeding, or plan to breastfeed. You should not breastfeed during treatment with SPRAVATO.® Tell your healthcare provider right away if you become pregnant during treatment with SPRAVATO.® If you are able to become pregnant, talk to your healthcare provider about methods to prevent pregnancy during treatment with SPRAVATO.®
Before beginning treatment with SPRAVATO,® tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines that you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Taking SPRAVATO® with certain medicines may cause side effects. Be sure to tell your healthcare provider if you take medicines that are central nervous system (CNS) depressants, psychostimulants, or monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs). Keep a list of them to show to your healthcare provider and pharmacist when you get a new medicine.
SPRAVATO® is not for use as a medicine to prevent or relieve pain (anesthetic). It is not known if SPRAVATO® is safe or effective as an anesthetic medicine.
It is not known if SPRAVATO® is safe and effective for use in preventing suicide or in reducing suicidal thoughts or actions. SPRAVATO® is not for use in place of hospitalization if your healthcare provider determines that hospitalization is needed, even if improvement is experienced after the first dose of SPRAVATO.®
Who Should Not Take SPRAVATO® and Other Precautions
At CBHA, relationships are important. CBHA patients are provided with a setting in which people receive care that enables them to regain hope and direction in a supportive, caring, and compassionate environment.
“As the treatment coordinator, I find it extremely beneficial to meet in person with each potential patient prior to their consultation with the psychiatrist,” says Mrs. Barber. “During that meeting, we discuss the treatment requirements, step by step process, and review and sign all the necessary paperwork that is included in registering the patient for the treatment. I walk them through the ins and outs of treatment, along with bringing them into the treatment room to imagine for themselves what to expect. SPRAVATO® is a serious commitment and it may not be appropriate for everyone.”
Yet for many who have tried other treatments for depression with little or no results, SPRAVATO® has been a lifeline, and the health professionals at CBHA are here to help those who suffer to find relief from major depression.
“The care, understanding, and compassion I’ve received from CBHA is unmatched,” says A.Z. “The CBHA team is truly an amazing and very special group to me.”
If you struggle with chronic, debilitating depression and have found no relief in other treatments and medications, SPRAVATO® esketamine treatment may be right for you. Hope has come to Connecticut. Contact the healthcare professionals of Connecticut Behavioral Health Associates today by calling (860) 437-6914 ext. 253.
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