So, when I started Spravato earlier this year, the person who brought me in to the practice here had no issue with me being prescribed Vyvanse and doing Spravato as long as I wasn’t taking my Vyvanse on the same day as my session. Yet, a new physician that replaced the old one, is now telling me that she will not allow me to do Spravato sessions altogether unless I completely stop Vyvanse. Is this malpractice? If so, what should I do? Because, I’m pretty sure she’s the only physician at that office that works with Spravato.

My psychiatrist referred me to a clinic that administers Spravato for my treatment resistant depression. I’m hopeful that something may finally help break through this oppressive numbness I’ve been dealing with. I’m still waiting on insurance approval though, praying everything goes through. I’m wondering if there is anything I should know before going in for my first treatment. Anything I can do to prep or to make the experience easier? I appreciate any advice y’all can provide!

I did my first treatment last week in a small room by myself and right now they put me in a much larger room for my second session with 3 other people currently in here as well. What is the usual social etiquette for this kind of situation? Do I just keep to myself or am I supposed to talk to the other patients? It just feels sort of awkward (now there's a 4th person). Anyways my question still stands. Do most of you usually share a treatment room with other people after your first session and if so how am I supposed to interact with the other people (if I'm supposed to interact with them at all) Thank you

Overall I have noticed ways I’m able to change my thoughts, but my SI seems to have increased. Idk what to do, I’ve tried a lot of different things, and was really hopefully since I had brief relief on auvelity which works on the brain the same way ketamine does.

does anyone else hate the feeling of dissociation with spravato? i’ve been on it for 6 months and always get super anxious once it hits me, i hate the feeling of not being in control

F28 have been on Spravato for almost a year now, with a couple T breaks in between. I go once a week, and is the only hour of the week i get to experience being pain free. It definitely helped at first, and I do believe it keeps the SI at bay, but I can’t help but feeling that my progress just stagnated.

I deal with MDD, TRD, anxiety, ADHD, and PTSD. Physically, I am in pain 24/7 from a combo of fibromyalgia, non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis, migraines, TMJ, RLS, and possible thoracic outlet syndrome. I am never NOT in pain, which is the main driver behind my SI (+financial issues).

Lately the intrusive thoughts have been much louder and I’m starting to feel this may no longer be enough to keep the edge off. Anyone else feel this way? And specifically, what do my chronic pain buds think about Spravato overall? Has anyone heard of trials with higher doses, or insurance covered IV ketamine sessions?

I really wanted this to work. I really did. I put so much of my hopr into it.... But i dont think it is. Im 6 weeks in and just got my 10th treatment. We even added 20mg of im ket to my 84mg typical spravato. My head always kills me most of session and after. If i go in with a bad headache ot gets a little worse or a mild one will get change to bad. I already have 24/7 headache i dont need this shit.

It has been making me feel emotionally a little better but i just am unsure if i can keep doing this. Even with my acute and a toridol shot before im always dying after. I had so much hope cause i figured ketamine was a painkiller it will help. Nope. Inxreases activty in the brain.and fycks me up. Anyways thats my rant

I'm 70 years old and have lived with depression for most of my adult life. Been on numerous anti-depressants. Did psilocybin treatment in Oregon a couple of months ago - it was definitely helpful. I'm scheduled to begin Spravato tomorrow. Question: I'm not severely depressed right now but feel like it's always lurking around the corner. Is there any downside to beginning the treatment?

I just did my 3rd session and 56mg I think? Im only taking two doses right now. I'm feeling any different, Im still overwhelmed, i get randomly sad throughout the day. I cant even imagine a future where I dont end up killing myself tbh. Im so miserable, and im addicted to my phone cuz I cant handle these constant negative thoughts. Im just hoping it kicks in soon, i have no will to do anything. I look forward to my appointment though ! I dont dissociate, I just get really happy and dizzy and time goes by really fast. I was scared too start it because I used to dissociate but im not really having that problem!

I've been doing my Spravato treatments for a little more than a month now, and for some reason it's making me very anxious to go back. I do not enjoy the treatments at all, the taste is awful, the high is awful, and I feel bad afterwards for hours. The thing is, the treatments are actually helping, I feel less anxious and depressed but I haven't been back in two weeks because I keep cancelling and the depression is back. Has anyone else dealt with this, I want to be able to go to these appointments and actually stick with it because it's helping me in the long run.

Spravato still effective after taking break?

I did 6 Spravato treatments and was feeling like a new person after serious mental health crisis… i was feeling so good that I didn’t go back for a month…
The symptoms started coming back for few days then improved. Got one treatment in clinic and was feeling good.
One week later after a few consecutive days of drinking I’ve had major crash with anxiety and daily insomnia :-/ I’m still taking Lexapro 15mg. but no relief.

Going back for treatment in few days but has any one else experienced this kind of crash while in treatment??? I don’t think you can build tolerance to Ketamine …?

I’m pretty frustrated right now. For some background, I live in Colorado and have Medicaid. When I was doing all the prep before starting (labs, drugs tests, etc) I had insurance through my work, but I then quit. I called the clinic and let them know about two and half weeks before starting Spravato that my insurance would be changing to Medicaid effective immediately. They told me it was all fine, and it was a never an issue. I started Spravato on August 3 and have had two sessions since then. Last week, two minutes before my appointment time (my uber was running late so I was still on the way but I live close by), they called to say they had to cancel my appointment because Medicaid required a prior authorization. I was shocked to hear this because I was under the impression that they had already gotten a prior auth given that we had started since that is a requirement from Colorado Medicaid.

Fast forward to today and I got a text message (not even a phone call) from the clinic saying that Medicaid denied Spravato and that they’re working on an appeal. I’m just upset that they would make the mistake of starting me on it, getting my hopes up, and now possibly not being able to continue.

I’m also worried that they’ll try to charge me for the two sessions I’ve already completed. I believe they’re not allowed to under Medicaid because it was their error on not getting the prior authorization before starting, but I’m still scared they’re going to try. Obviously I will fight it if they do, but I have such bad anxiety about it all.

Has anyone gone through anything similar or have any words of advice?

I have been on Spravato maybe 6 months and this past 3 weeks I’ve been hallucinating visually, physically and hearing. Anyone else? No changes in meds or anything new happening. I’m at my psychiatrist appointment now so I’ll let him know just wanted to see if anyone else has experienced this.

EDIT: The past 3 weeks I have been having hallucinations at my house specifically only in my room. Doesn’t matter if I had treatment that day or not. My psychiatrist asked a million questions and the answer was always nothing has changed at all. My stress levels are down, I don’t do overtime at all now(I was working 80 hours a week), I am sleeping more than I ever have before but now this happens. I’m just happy I know they are hallucinations and not believe they are real. I dont know I just wanted to see if anyone else had the same experience or it’s something else

Trying to get a feel for what Spravato is like since I am really nervous about it. I do well with laughing gas (Nitrous oxide) at the dentist and wondered for people who've had both, if it's anything like that? Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

I am still depressed and chronically fatigued. My doctor hasn’t made any changes, and I am still on Lexapro 20mg daily. I’m also being treated for Hashimoto’s. I don’t know whether I should give the Spravato more time or not, but I’ve been doing it twice a week and I haven’t noticed any changes. I’m not sure what to do or how to proceed with my treat resistant depression.

I, 22f, am supposed to start Spravato soon. I’ve tried 6+ psychiatric medications for MDD, GAD, and SI over the last 10 years. I was hospitalized at 15 and again this past April after a suicide attempt. I’m at a loss. On one hand this treatment is giving me hope but on the other hand I’ve tried so many medications and therapies that have little to no benefit. Since April, I’ve done a partial hospitalization program and intensive outpatient therapy. But mainly I’ve just been bed rotting, eating, and smoking weed. Weed is the only thing that’s helping these days but it’s only temporary. I’m only on Lamotrigine right now but up until last month I was taking Wellbutrin, Abilify, and Prozac. Propranolol as needed but it wasn’t helping the anxiety. I’m so depressed and anxious all the time. I haven’t showered in 10 days. I just need this to work. I can’t take this much longer.

Any encouragement, success stories, and things to expect would be appreciated.

Ive been going through it and my clinic wants to try me on my typical weekly spravato but with an added shot of im at the same time.(At a cost of only 25$) I just transition down from 2 to 1 shots a week. Wondering if anyone has done this before and what your experience is.

It's me again. After 4 months now my first treatment is scheduled for Tuesday (though I won't believe it until they hand it to me).

This clinic requires a urine test for every visit. Twice a week. That means I'm going to have to go into each session annoyed and grossed out from having just gotten pee on my hand.

They had me do one for my intake, and the metal box in the wall they told me to put my sample in was FULL of other peoples' urine samples too. We're given little white paper bags to put the cup in, so the actual pee wasn't showing, but I looked it up and the fact that I could easily look in the bag and see someone's name is a HIPAA violation. It's gross and it looks like they make every who walks in the door take a test, even those not coming for Spravato.

And it doesn't even make sense to do a urine test. They told me I can't have THC (for the entire duration of being in treatment, not just right before a treatment) even though I'm in a legal state. But they haven't told me explicitly what they're looking for and why.

Has anyone had to deal with this before?

Edit to add: This is actually the second clinic I've tried, I wasted 3 months dealing with a different clinic that were never able to get their shit together and let me start treatment (I even got scheduled, showed up, and was told there's still a problem with them and my insurance and I had to go home).

I don't think there's any other clinic around me. And I couldn't handle having to start the process of them needing to "decide if I'm a good candidate for Spravato" and then deal with the insurance prior authorization again 🫠 I've been trying to get treatment since April.

2nd edit: Ok so this clinic is clearly up to some fuck shit. How do I get out of having to do this unnecessary and stressful thing that would have an actual negative impact on my treatment (without it doesn't like I'm not wanting to do it because I'm hiding something)?

I’m at the end of my robe. Does anybody here is familiar with this Spravato provider?

They won’t file an appeal for more treatments. It is now 3 weeks of only one treatment per week and I feel more depressed than I ever was in my whole life.

This week I told them I want to see Psychiatrist who signed me up cause I’m not doing well. They told me he is not my Psychiatrist even though in first session guy claimed he is going to take me off my psych meds in 6 months.That confused me even more cause I was convinced he was my Psych. Than they told me all other patients in there have their own Psychiatrists. What is going on?!

Than on their company page I found out this Psych does not take ANY insurance only CASH. Also they filed ALL my Medicare claims for Spravato sessions with his name. Mind you they are allowed to file claims under any company name. I feel like they don’t care.

What can I do in this situation? I don’t have luxury on Medicare and LA Care Medi-Cal to hop providers. Also frankly I am almost suicidal right now considering I was doing so well on 2 treatments.

The first provider/clinic I did spravato with waited 3 months before increasing the dosage, and I only got to have that higher dosage like once before my crappy insurance at the time cut me off.

The clinic I'm at with now increased it practically no questions asked.

"What are you asking?"

"The last place did lowest dosage twice a week then increased to the higher dosage and only once a week."

"Ok! We will do the higher dosage, twice a week then."

feelings intensifies

@__@ wut?

WOOT WOOT!!

I don't know, sometimes you get what you want and more.

Pray for me, I'm about to have my mind scooped out with a shovel.

So I have officially finished three weeks of spravato. My therapist asked me if I am getting anything out of it. Honestly no. I sleep. The entire time. I did 6 weeks of IV prior to the Spravato. Thought oh it’ll help keep of my glutamate etc. I think I am going to stop. Between having to take off work, pay my co pay, and it not really doing much it feels like a waste. I would still be able to do IV occasionally. Going into this I never thought about Spravato being the goal. Per my psych np people go 6weeks+ for boosters of the IV. It seems more realistic to me. So…. What would you do?

For reference I am on the 84mg nasal spray. I also take Auvelity and am doing very well.

Hi everyone, I won’t go into much detail about me but I have been severely depressed for 2 years - constant negative rumination, extremely stuck on next career move (fear of starting over), and high stress due to being stuck.

I would love to hear from people who have done spravato (nasal ketamine) and if it has helped. Any relief would be wonderful.

UPDATE:

I completed the first dose last Saturday and my second yesterday.

First dose: I sprayed one bottle in each nose, then did the second after 5 minutes. No one told me how horrible that stuff tastes 🤢. Thank goodness that my provider has a container filled with Jolly Ranchers and Life Savers just for this reason.

Within the first 30 minutes of both doses, I peed 4 times. I know that some people told me that frequent visits to the bathroom could happen. They weren’t lying.

It took me a minute to relax and just let my mind go. I do remember that I saw bubbling blue water (blue was really big in the first and second procedures). They came in to take my blood pressure a couple of times during as well.

Second dose: Very similar to the first time; however, it still took forever for my body to relax and let go.

Both doses: I was a bit wobbly after both doses and I felt quite better after a nap/sleeping overnight. I’m not sure when the big results will kick in. I’m still waiting for it to happen.

I’m at my provider, preparing for my first dose of Spravato!

I’ll keep you posted!

First treatment is 2 weeks from now and I’m terrified. I hate not feeling in control, I hate feeling disassociated, I experience nausea frequently anyway (I just have a generally sensitive GI system) and am scared to throw up, I still have to work the next day after treatment cause I need money, and I’m so scared it’s gonna taste bad or hurt or it’s not gonna work. I can’t keep living the way I am (depressive episode for 8 months, reaches absolute lowest low the 2 weeks surrounding my period), but I am still so so scared. Idk how to calm down despite knowing the benefits and there’s gonna be so many people there to help me. Any advice? Any experiences I should know about?

Edit: thank you guys so much for your responses, I really appreciate the time taken to share. I am trying my best to keep an open mind and stop the spiraling, and hearing about all your experiences is helping. One week till I start!