The first anti-depressant medication to be allowed in decades, nasal ketamine treatments for depression were approved by the Food and Drug Administration in March. Patients who have developed a resistance to their antidepressant treatment have an alternative with the drug.
Depression may be treated with nasal ketamine treatments
Ketamine may be used to treat severe depression more quickly than other antidepressants, according to years of research. The FDA did not permit its use despite the research’s findings because of worries about the medicine’s safety; it was formerly referred to as a party drug.
Researchers discovered that their theory regarding the effects of ketamine being used to treat severe depression was true after years of investigating the effects of the substance. This was made possible by studies that shown that utilising ketamine to treat depression resulted in improvements for 70 to 85% of individuals.
How do ketamine nasal treatments function?
Esketamine, the primary component of the new nasal ketamine medication Spravato, is a glutamate receptor modulator that may aid in reversing abnormalities in the brain cells of persons with severe depression, according to researchers.
Those who have developed a resistance to their antidepressants and have tried at least one other antidepressant unsuccessfully will be entitled to get the nasal esketamine treatment centers. The nasal treatments must be given in a doctor’s office or clinic, unlike other antidepressants that the patient is prescribed and can take home with them.
In case they have an adverse reaction to the drug, patients must also be under observation and remain in their doctor’s office for at least two hours after treatment.
For the first few weeks, new patients will receive the spray twice weekly; after that, the frequency will decrease. The nasal form of ketamine is fast-acting, but, in accordance with Dr. Dennis Charney, a Yale researcher who has been researching antidepressants since the 1990s, its effects ought to endure until the subsequent dose.
Is it possible to perform the nasal ketamine treatment at home?
Currently, the doctor’s office is the only location where the nasal ketamine treatment can be given. However, once it is established that the drug’s side effects are minimal, there is hope that the observation at the doctor’s office will eventually be eliminated. But, some medical professionals are concerned that the FDA won’t permit the use of the medicine at home because hallucination is one of ketamine’s negative effects.
Would my insurance pay for ketamine nasal treatments?
Following FDA clearance, the majority of insurance companies will eventually pay for nasal ketamine therapy, although coverage will probably be limited because the medication will be more expensive than other FDA-approved antidepressants.
Many individuals who may not have the results they would desire from other types of depression medicine find hope in nasal ketamine therapy. Its outcomes thus far are encouraging.
The following is a thorough explanation of nasal ketamine therapy, including what it is specifically, how it works, and the science behind it. Since there are different ways to handle spravato treatment-resistant depression, the material below contrasts Spravato® with these complementary therapies.
What is ketamine nasal treatment?
Ketamine is a drug that is used to treat many different conditions. Because of its capacity to induce a trance-like condition in patients, it is most well-known as an anaesthetic. However when administered properly, ketamine has been shown by medical professionals to help with the signs and symptoms of depression. It might also benefit society in the long run.
Ketamine can be administered intravenously (IV) or nasally (nasally). Although most people find nasal ketamine, which is administered as a “nasal puff,” to be far more convenient, the effects are essentially the same.