My insurance approved me for Spravato (esketamine)!!! I start tomorrow!!!
It's inhaled (a spray) and then you hang out in a room for 2 hours. They said not to listen to music with words & that it peaks at about 40 mins. You aren't allowed to drive until the next day.
I've failed maybe 8 SSRI/SNRIs in my life and I'm currently on an off label (ie really fricking high) dosage of Prozac but still having acute suicidal ideation (SI).
Ketamine is an NMDA antagonist and works differently than SSRIs. A lot of people get relief from SI immediately after the first session but sometimes it takes a couple.
I'm so happy I finally might get some relief from my despair and suffering. I am really reaching “last resort” in terms of what's available to me. I have electro shock therapy left and that's about it. Hoping this works.
Has anyone else here done it?
Edit: I'm out of benefactor awards just fyi
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So basically you can't take it home w/ you and have to use it in their facility?
How long are the effects supposed to last? Is this like a weekly thing?
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It's 2x a week for 4 weeks and then once a week maintenance.
There's a REMS program bc of it being a controlled substance with certain risks. It's an FDA thing. Also they want to monitor you to make sure you don't have any bad effects.
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Yeah the REMS thing does make sense. If anything I'm just surprised because I feel like psychiatrists are usually much more lackadaisical when it comes to prescribing uh "heavy medications".
Is the once/week indefinite? Or do they try to take you off after a few months?
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I think indefinite but I'll have to ask
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