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Esketamine Therapy

Orange County Mental Health Treatment Center

(714) 375-1110
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D'Amore And Esketamine Therapy

In order to stay at the vanguard of mental wellness recovery, D’Amore Mental Health now implements Esketamine treatment as one of our pharmacotherapy tracks. In recent studies, there has been an increasing amount of compelling evidence that low doses of Esketamine can bring about dramatic and lasting improvement in a number of mental health conditions. When administered as a supplement to one of our personalized treatment plans, Esketamine therapy can put you in the position to bring balance and autonomy back to your life.

Partnering With D'Amore

The expert staff at D’Amore Mental Health takes your entire medical and psychological history into consideration. We then create a customized treatment plan tailored to your needs as a patient, with modalities ranging from individual and group sessions to our signature “Build Me Up” program.

Much like our safe and comfortable mental health treatment facility, a properly administered and supervised course of Esketamine therapy when appropriate can increase the efficacy of these strategies. This track can be an effective alternative for the treatment of chronic conditions that have been resistant to conventional approaches.

What Is Ketamine?

Ketamine is a medication first approved for use in 1970 and has since been used primarily as an anesthetic. Studies conducted in the 2000s, however, showed ketamine to be an effective and rapidly-acting anti-depressant when administered in sub-anesthetic doses. If our clinicians believe that ketamine would be effective for you, you could begin to notice an improved mood within 4 to 24 hours after infusion therapy.

What Conditions Can Esketamine Treat?

Depression

Postpartum Depression

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Chronic Pain

What Is Esketamine?

Esketamine is a pharmaceutical drug derived from ketamine.  It is typically sold under the brand names Ketanest and Spravato.  Similar to ketamine, esketamine acts as an anesthetic and a dissociative that is used to treat Treatment-Resistant Depression (TRD).  In March of 2019, the FDA approved esketamine in the form of a nasal spray for the effective treatment of Major Depressive Disorder for people who have not been successful with traditional antidepressant treatments.  

Esketamine For Treatment Resistant Depression

Treatment-Resistant Depression affects more than 2 million people in the US alone.  A patient is diagnosed with TRD after they attempt to treat their Major Depressive Disorder with at least 2 different antidepressant medications without a noticeable improvement in their symptoms.  Esketamine is able to ‘jump start’ the treatment of depression by serving as an NMDA-antagonist, this works to increase the brain’s ability to respond to antidepressant medication.  Esketamine is used in conjunction with an oral antidepressant medication, together they are able to minimize the symptoms of depression in people who haven’t found relief from antidepressants in the past.

How Does Esketamine Treatment Work?

Esketamine can be taken as a nasal spray under the brand name Spravato.  Each nasal spray device contains 28 mg of Esketamine.  Most patients prefer the easy and non-invasive nasal spray over the intravenous IV infusions that are typically used in ketamine therapy.  Patients will generally begin treatment by self-administering one spray to each of their nostrils while under the supervision of a medical professional.  This dosage will typically be administered twice a week for a 4 week period.  For longterm treatments, patients have often moved up to 3 sprays, once a week in order to maintain the positive effects.  Patients have been reported to experience a significant reduction of the symptoms of their depression in the 5 to 7 week period after beginning their treatment.

A Message from SPRAVATO®

SPRAVATO® is a prescription medicine, used along with an antidepressant taken by mouth, for treatment-resistant depression (TRD) in adults.

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 in children.

Important Safety Information

 Sedation and dissociation. SPRAVATO® may cause sleepiness (sedation), fainting, dizziness, spinning sensation, anxiety, or feeling disconnected from yourself, your thoughts, feelings, space and time (dissociation).

    • 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 2 hours after taking SPRAVATO®. Your healthcare provider will decide when you are ready to leave the healthcare setting.
  •     Abuse and misuse. There is a risk for abuse and physical and psychological dependence with SPRAVATO® treatment. Your healthcare provider should check you for signs of abuse and dependence before and during treatment with SPRAVATO®.
    • Tell your healthcare provider if you have ever abused or been dependent on alcohol, prescription medicines, or street drugs.
    • Your healthcare provider can tell you more about the differences between physical and psychological dependence and drug addiction.
  •     SPRAVATO® Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS). Because of the risks for sedation, dissociation, and abuse and misuse, SPRAVATO® is only available through a restricted program called the SPRAVATO® Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) Program. SPRAVATO® can only be administered at healthcare settings certified in the SPRAVATO® REMS Program and to patients enrolled in the program.
  •     Increased risk of suicidal thoughts or actions. SPRAVATO® may cause worsening of depression and suicidal thoughts and behaviors, especially during the first few months of treatment and when the dose is changed. Depression and other serious mental illnesses are the most important causes of suicidal thoughts and actions. Some people may have a higher risk of having suicidal thoughts or actions. These include people who have (or have a family history of) depression or a history of suicidal thoughts or actions.
  •     How can I watch for and try to prevent suicidal thoughts and actions?
    • Pay close attention to any changes, especially sudden changes, in mood, behavior, thoughts, or feelings, or if you develop suicidal thoughts or actions.
    • Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have any new or sudden changes in mood, behavior, thoughts, or feelings.
    • Keep all follow-up visits with your healthcare provider as scheduled. Call your healthcare provider between visits as needed, especially if you have concerns about symptoms.
  •     Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have any of the following symptoms, especially if they are new, worse, or worry you:
    • attempts to commit suicide                                
    • thoughts about suicide or dying  
    • worsening depression
    • other unusual changes in behavior or mood

 

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 and legs)
  •     have an abnormal connection between your veins and arteries (arteriovenous malformation)
  •     have a history of bleeding in the brain
  •     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 before taking SPRAVATO®.

 have heart or brain problems, including:

    • high blood pressure (hypertension)
    • slow or fast heartbeats that cause shortness of breath, chest pain, lightheadedness, or fainting
    • history of heart attack
    • history of stroke
    • heart valve disease or heart failure
    • history of brain injury or any condition where there is increased pressure in the brain
  •     have liver problems
  •     have ever had a condition called “psychosis” (see, feel, or hear things that are not there, or believe in things that are not true).
  •     are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. SPRAVATO® may harm your baby. You should not take SPRAVATO® if you are pregnant.
    • 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®.
    • There is a pregnancy registry for women who are exposed to SPRAVATO® during pregnancy. The purpose of the registry is to collect information about the health of women exposed to SPRAVATO® and their baby. If you become pregnant during treatment with SPRAVATO®, talk to your healthcare provider about registering with the National Pregnancy Registry for Antidepressants at 1-844-405-6185 or online at https://womensmentalhealth.org/clinical-and-research- programs/pregnancyregistry/antidepressants/.
  •     are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. You should not breastfeed during treatment with SPRAVATO®.

including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins and herbal supplements. Taking SPRAVATO® with certain medicine may cause side effects. Especially tell your healthcare provider if you take Central Nervous System (CNS) depressants, psychostimulants, or Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) medicines.

You will take SPRAVATO® nasal spray yourself, under the supervision of a healthcare provider in a healthcare setting. Your healthcare provider will show you how to use the SPRAVATO® nasal spray device.

  •     Your healthcare provider will tell you how much SPRAVATO® you will take and when you will take it.
  •     Follow your SPRAVATO® treatment schedule exactly as your healthcare provider tells you to.
  •     During and after each use of the SPRAVATO® nasal spray device, you will be checked by a healthcare provider who will decide when you are ready to leave the healthcare setting.
  •     You will need to plan for a caregiver or family member to drive you home after taking SPRAVATO®.
  •     If you miss a SPRAVATO® treatment, your healthcare provider may change your dose and treatment schedule.
  •     Some people taking SPRAVATO® get nausea and vomiting. You should not eat for at least 2 hours before taking SPRAVATO® and not drink liquids at least 30 minutes before taking SPRAVATO®.

·      If you take a nasal corticosteroid or nasal decongestant medicine take these medicines at least 1 hour before taking SPRAVATO®.

Do not drive, operate machinery, or do anything where you need to be completely alert after taking SPRAVATO®. Do not take part in these activities until the next day following a restful sleep. See “What is the most important information I should know about SPRAVATO®?”

 See “What is the most important information I should know about SPRAVATO®?”

  •     Increased blood pressure. SPRAVATO® can cause a temporary increase in your blood pressure that may last for about 4 hours after taking a dose. Your healthcare provider will check your blood pressure before taking SPRAVATO® and for at least 2 hours after you take SPRAVATO®. 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®.
  •     Problems with thinking clearly. Tell your healthcare provider if you have problems thinking or remembering.

·      Bladder problems. 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.

dissociation, dizziness, nausea, sedation, spinning sensation, reduced sense of touch and sensation, anxiety, lack of energy, increased blood pressure, vomiting, and feeling drunk.

If these common side effects occur, they usually happen right after taking SPRAVATO® and go away the same day.

These are not all the possible side effects of SPRAVATO®.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

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