Rochester Holistic Psychiatry is now offering the medication Spravato. We are pleased to announce this development and excited that we can stay on the forefront of mental health care by embracing new treatments as they are approved for safe use. 

According to Tiffany Farchione, M.D., “There has been a long-standing need for additional effective treatments for treatment-resistant depression, a serious and life-threatening condition. Controlled clinical trials that studied the safety and efficacy of this drug, along with careful review through the FDA’s drug approval process including a robust discussion with our external advisory committees, were important to our decision to approve this treatment. Because of safety concerns, the drug will only be available through a restricted distribution system, and it must be administered in a certified medical office where the health care provider can monitor the patient.” 

What is Spravato? Spravato is made up of esketamine and administered as a nasal spray along with an oral depressant. It is meant for treating depression in adults who have not found remission through other antidepressants. Spravato was approved by the FDA in 2019. 

Spravato works by increasing glutamate production, one of the brain’s main neurotransmitters. This gives communication systems in the brain a boost, allowing us to function better in many different ways. Ways like improved impulse control, decreased anxiety, and a more stable feeling in general, which makes a major difference in one’s quality of life. Studies are showing less frequency in suicidal ideations among patients, and results continue to be promising. Some more effects that have been seen from using Spravato are more energy and a greater sense of reward, which lifts the mood. 

Esketamine was first used in medicine as an anesthetic in 1970 and as an antidepressant in 2019. Esketamine is a controlled substance due to high liability of misuse as a hallucinogenic drug. Common side effects of esketamine include: 

− Dizziness 

− Vertigo 

− Elevated blood pressure 

− Nausea 

− A general feeling of drunkenness 

This is why the drug is only given through careful observation of the patient and under the supervision of a medical professional. Patients taking Spravato do not take it home with them. It is a truth well known in the medical community that dosage and administration technique can make a substance a killer or a cure. Spravato is only available through a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS). 

We look forward to developments in medication that lead to remission for more people. Contact us anytime with questions about our services and what we can do to make a positive difference in your or your loved ones’ lives. Use our website  or call us at (585) 442-6960.