Spravato vs. Oral Antidepressants: What Northern Nevada Patients Need to Know About Relief

Depression treatment is not one-size-fits-all. For many people, oral antidepressants provide meaningful symptom relief. For others, depression continues despite trying multiple medications at appropriate doses. When standard approaches have not provided enough improvement, SPRAVATO® may offer a different option.

At Thunder Pain & Wellness, we help patients in Reno and throughout Northern Nevada understand their options for treatment-resistant depression and determine whether advanced therapies such as SPRAVATO may be appropriate.

How Oral Antidepressants Work

Traditional oral antidepressants include several medication classes, and they work in different ways. Many commonly prescribed antidepressants affect neurotransmitters such as serotonin and norepinephrine, which are involved in mood regulation.

These medications are typically taken every day, and it may take several weeks to determine how well a particular medication is working. Finding an effective treatment can also require adjustments in dosage or trying more than one medication.

For some patients, however, depression symptoms remain significant even after multiple antidepressant trials. This may be considered treatment-resistant depression.

How SPRAVATO Is Different

SPRAVATO is a prescription nasal spray containing esketamine. Rather than working through the same pathways targeted by many traditional antidepressants, esketamine affects the brain's glutamate system, including NMDA receptor activity.

SPRAVATO is FDA-approved for adults with treatment-resistant depression and for certain adults with major depressive disorder experiencing acute suicidal thoughts or behaviors. Current FDA labeling allows SPRAVATO to be used alone or with an oral antidepressant for treatment-resistant depression. For depressive symptoms associated with acute suicidal ideation or behavior, it is used with an oral antidepressant.

SPRAVATO vs. Oral Antidepressants

Some important differences Northern Nevada patients should understand include:

•          Administration: Oral antidepressants are generally taken at home, while SPRAVATO is administered as a nasal spray in a certified medical setting.

•          Treatment approach: Traditional antidepressants commonly target serotonin, norepinephrine, or related pathways, while SPRAVATO affects glutamate signaling.

•          Timing: Oral medications may require several weeks before their full effects can be evaluated. SPRAVATO may improve symptoms more quickly for some patients.

•          Monitoring: Patients receiving SPRAVATO must remain under medical supervision for at least two hours after treatment.

•          Transportation: Patients cannot drive themselves home after a SPRAVATO session and should not drive or operate machinery until the following day after restful sleep.

Is SPRAVATO Right for Treatment-Resistant Depression?

SPRAVATO is not automatically the next step for everyone who has depression. We carefully review each patient's symptoms, previous treatments, medications, overall health, and treatment goals before recommending an approach.

Our Reno clinic is a certified SPRAVATO REMS treatment center, allowing us to provide treatment in a medically supervised environment. During each session, patients self-administer the nasal spray under our team's supervision and are monitored afterward for potential effects such as sedation, dissociation, changes in blood pressure, dizziness, or nausea.

If oral antidepressants have not provided the relief you need, schedule a consultation with Thunder Pain & Wellness to learn whether SPRAVATO treatment may be appropriate for you. Contact our office in Reno, NV, by calling (775) 336-1256 to book an appointment today.