Esketamine for Depression User Reviews (Page 2)

• Jak...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 1, 2019

Esketamine "I began treatments with 56 mg, which is four sprays using two syringes. It did not help with my depression, so after the fourth treatment (two weeks), the dosage was increased to 84 mg (6 sprays using three syringes). For a week, I thought it might be helping a little, but came to realize it was not. I did start having increased anxiety, often very anxious when waking in the morning. After the first month of twice-a-week treatments and two additional weekly treatments, I stopped since I was convinced it was not helping my depression and was making me very anxious. My depression now seems worse than ever, and my anxiety is at a high level. Spravato's Savings Plan reduced the cost of the medicine to only a co-pay of $10 per treatment. However, the doctor charged $300 per visit, which was not covered by my insurance. If others try Spravato, I hope you have better results. The doctor and staff were great and supportive. It was disappointing for me."

• AJa...
• January 18, 2020

Esketamine "I did the IV Ketamine for several months and found it very helpful, but it wore off very quickly. My physician has recommended that I start Spravato, as he has sometimes seen its benefits last longer. I have now had 2 treatments with 53 mg. I do not feel dissociative symptoms, like with the IV, but I have significant symptoms of motion sickness. The night of the treatment, I feel exhausted, and this is lasting into the following day. With the IV treatment, my symptoms fully resolved the night of treatment. I am trying to determine if these treatments are worth continuing. The side effects are prolonged, and there is no certainty that the benefits will last very long."

• RFM...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 2, 2019

Esketamine "An update from September: I've been on Spravato for over three months now, and it seems to be helping, although I'm still not seeing rainbows. It works best for me about 48 hours after a visit. My experiences are all over the place. If you clean your sinuses before your visit, its effects are a lot stronger. I had some bizarre reactions. One of the weirdest was the feeling of melting into the floor and then the floor dropping out. It also causes me to have a strong urge to urinate and messes with my sense of taste. The vision issues have more or less subsided. Take some candy to the appointment, preferably Life Savers wintergreen or peppermint. Nothing you can choke on. Note: When the cost of Ketamine infusions hits $200, I'm going to switch. Pure Ketamine is amazing."

• Hop...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 27, 2019

Esketamine "I went through a series of 6 ketamine IV infusions. It was life-changing. The drawback being that the effects and relief lasted days/weeks. But when it is working, it is miraculous. Due to a good response to the ketamine but not able to prolong the effects, Spravato was prescribed for me. I began week 1 with 2 treatments (required 2 treatments every week for the first 4 weeks). It is much milder, less intense, and effective in my view based on my response. Both dosages were at 56 mg, the required initial dose. I believe that I may have better results with the 84 mg and will be trying that dosage next week for week 2."

• Anonymous
• August 27, 2019

Esketamine "I posted my experience earlier, and now I have done a total of 10 treatments of the nasal spray Spravato: 2 at 56 mg and the rest at 84 mg. After session 6, I started to feel a little lighter and less depressed, but this lasted very shortly. The treatments after that did nothing for me. They are very intense, and you get awful disassociation, dizziness, numbness. It's a complete out-of-body experience. For me, the feelings were very bothersome, and after I would leave, I was done for the day. I couldn’t do anything, just lay around. I guess if it worked for me, I would have sucked it up and continued even though the side effects were so bothersome. Unfortunately for me, this didn’t work, and it cost me a fortune. Personally, I wouldn’t advise others to do this until there is more research about it. It is still very new, and doctors are still learning by experimenting on us! However, the one done by IV is not as new. I will continue to fight the fight, but will never do Spravato again."

• Lal...
• September 2, 2020

Esketamine "I suffer from depression. I’ve tried different meds, and none have seemed to help. I heard of Spravato and was very excited to know there was a treatment out there that could work. I’ve done 6 sessions of Spravato and have seen no improvement. I have an appointment tomorrow for another treatment. I really don’t like the experience. As you inhale the Spravato, you get the nasty taste. Then you’re in for a ride of feeling like you’re outside your body. Feeling like you’re completely numb. Face, feet, etc. I hate the whole experience. Everyone is different. I hope this works for others that are going to try this. Good luck!"

• DVe...
• November 4, 2021

Esketamine "Have had maybe 5 Spravato treatments. Almost immediately felt better on depressive feelings associated with chronic pain. I seemed to notice the dissociative effects varied wildly from treatment to treatment and believe the stronger the effect, the more medicine gets to my brain. Today I decided not to swallow for as long as possible, theorizing swallowing what drains from the sinuses is lost to the effects of stomach acid. Well, as I swished the drainage (yeah, kind of gross, but it travels that path in any event) and avoided swallowing for as long as possible, I experienced the strongest dissociative effects to date. Makes sense as the medicine is absorbed through membranes in the mouth rather than lost to the stomach. I may be wrong, but I think the more dissociative, the more medicine gets to the brain, the more impactful the effect, the better I will feel. Will update as I continue the process, assuming I don’t drown :)"

• Cal...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 1, 2020

Esketamine "I’ve had 5 Spravato treatments so far for depression. I felt a lightening of my mood after the first three treatments, however, the feeling didn’t last long, maybe 24 hours. I’m hopeful that with continued treatments, I will improve. I don’t have a strong reaction to the medication when it’s administered, just a slight disassociation with time and place that I can easily bring into perspective. The nasal spray dripping down your throat is horrible, and I take Zofran and omeprazole before my appointments to counter. I had 15 ketamine injections a year ago, and they helped a little. I’ve yet to have an infusion. I know that is the gold standard, but I cannot afford it financially."

• Car...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 5, 2022

Esketamine "Spravato was recommended by my psychiatric nurse practitioner for MDD because I have struggled for more than 30 years. I was well informed of the side effects, but no one reported that anything like what I experienced. I think it’s important for anyone who is considering using Spravato to hear about as many different experiences as possible. While most experiences are positive, mine was not. After I administered the second dose, about 10 minutes or so, I began to feel like I was falling, spinning, and losing my mind, completely out of control. I sat there for almost 4 hours, absolutely terrified. Terrified that I would never feel “normal” again, that I would die, I would lose everything that I cared about. I cried in fear and begged the person who gave me the medicine to make it stop. I begged her to tell me that it would stop and that I would feel normal again. I’m still traumatized by the experience and feel like some of the effects are still happening 3 months later."

• Dan...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 3, 2020

Esketamine "When I read about Spravato, I was so excited. I had failed TMS and multiple oral medications, so this new format of spraying something directly into your brain. Initially, I had a great amount of dissociation for the first hour, which gradually dissipated. The day of the treatment, I felt great, but then it seemed to just go away. While on it, I had increased suicidal ideations. I was also hospitalized 2 months later with pneumonia and fluid in my lower left lung. THESE TWO COULD HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO RELATION TO EACH OTHER. But after that, I elected to stop taking Spravato. I think it is very promising, but it is too new to have a history, and I’m done being the guinea pig."

• Egg...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 15, 2019

Esketamine "Starting fourth week tomorrow. Spravato has helped a little but still have anxiety, especially when waking in the morning. It may or may not work but I’m better than I was, hope it lasts. I may try Kratom if this doesn’t work, do not want to be as bad as I was. My clinician is great, and believe me, not all clinicians are that caring. I had to see someone else for one dosing, and she left me in the room for 40 minutes by myself. Not good when you're tripping out."

• Kar...
• August 8, 2019

Esketamine "I have had 3 sessions of 56 mg. First time had the most dramatic side effects, very strong dizziness and dissociation. Next day I felt great. Second session had the worst reaction. Side effects last through the evening, dizziness and nausea. Next day I felt like my head was full of mud, couldn't make any decisions, had a blank look on my face all day... didn't feel like I was in this world. And the third session seemed to be somewhere in the middle. The side effects during and the evening of weren't too bad. The next day I functioned and went to work like a typical day. I can't say I have seen relief from my depression. Dr. thinks I should still give it a few more times. But I am going through a difficult time in my life, so maybe my depression would be way worse if I didn't have the Spravato treatments?"

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 9, 2023

Esketamine "I have had MDD for years. I started to suffer from depression as an adolescent, probably due to my environment and situations I had been exposed to. Anyway, I have been on just about every SSRI, SNRI, and also antipsychotics and benzos for most of my life. Currently on Trintellix. I have had four Spravato treatments so far. The first treatment was horrible. I relived traumatic experiences in my mind, and the physical effects were almost unbearable. I had such a frightening experience that the doctor was hesitant to have me come back. I am desperate, so we decided to have my spouse sit with me to help keep me in a positive state. This helped. However, I felt hungover the next day and couldn't think clearly. Next treatments only improved slightly, still very uncomfortable, I couldn't wait for the treatments to be done. On the eves of treatments, I had very restless legs and had a panicky feeling. It's been two weeks, and I don't feel any better. In fact, I feel a little worse."

• RFM...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 3, 2019

Esketamine "I've been on esketamine and rapid TMS for over a month now, and I'm starting to see some small improvements. 84 mg gives me some intense reactions. I found that putting your head between your legs after you inject until it soaks in really amplifies the effects. I'd use regular ketamine, but my insurance won't cover it, and at $400 a visit, that's not going to happen. I got approved to use Spravato for a year when needed, and Janssen Pharmaceutical is picking up my copay for now. They have a plan to pay for your medication if needed, and $80,000 net a year or less qualifies. I'm planning on switching to rTMS by itself soon. It only takes 5 minutes and has no restrictions on my day."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 22, 2019

Esketamine "So far, I am on my 3rd time doing the Spravato nasal spray. 2x I did 56 mg and one time the 82 mg, I believe. I feel exactly the same. No change at all!! My Dr told me to at least give it to the one month mark. It makes me feel awful during it, I get the disassociation and dizziness along with every other side effect, and I will say it takes me more than 2 hours to wear off. Pretty much the whole day. I am hoping the next few treatments work, otherwise, I have wasted a lot of time and money :-("

• And...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 29, 2023

Esketamine "My first treatment was actually exceptionally frightening. When it appeared to peak, I could not move and felt frozen. A very low, soft, short mumble of a couple of words when asked a question. Lips barely moved. Very, very dark and distorted visual when eyes are closed. Open eyes, very difficult to see, and also quite dark. Felt very, very trapped. Wasn't sure if I was dying. Remained highish for several hours after. Also, the next 2 days had negative side effects, which a friend also observed. Never again!"

• Ana...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 10, 2020

Esketamine "I would like to know if anyone else currently being treated with Spravato has had insomnia, flashbacks, extremely weird, and vivid dreams? I have only completed 2 treatments so far and am curious as to how it is affecting others."

• ela...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 4, 2021

Esketamine "I did a full month of treatments - 8 total at the 84 mg dose. I enjoyed the experience, however, it did absolutely nothing to help my depression. I am going to try IV ketamine infusions at some point, as I understand they are more effective for many reasons. I started with Spravato because it only cost $520 total for all 8 visits ($55 copay and $10 for Spravato through the J&J program)."

• Dav...
• December 1, 2021

Esketamine "Bioavailability is a big issue with ketamine. Infusions provide 100%, intramuscular maybe 70%, and Spravato, nasally 30%+. Unless you don’t swallow for several minutes after pressurized into nostrils. As it drains down your throat, and if you don’t swallow, the membrane in your mouth allows much greater absorption, much greater. The experience is much more pronounced, which I only assume means more meds into your system and thus a better outcome. Sure seems to be working that way for me."

• goa...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 7, 2021

Esketamine "I have had Spravato three times-once with the lower dose; twice with the higher. It's difficult to leave a review knowing everyone responds differently (but hopefully with enough enjoying remitted depressive symptoms). I didn't notice anything my first two sessions, during or after. But my partner did (more positive/less irritable). On the third dose, I did feel like more color was returning to my life, but that lasted for a day. This is not unusual: the medication supposedly builds up. The post-nasal drip is foul, but I've found that some candies work the best. I don't feel actually sick (although some people do). I didn't disassociate or have any reactions at all. I had ketamine for the main anesthesia ingredient during a major hip operation, and I came out of that surgery feeling great for a week even with the pain, so I'm hopeful continued use of its sibling will really help me. There is a question about whether maintenance really does need to be ongoing to keep the benefits."

• Car...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 5, 2022

Esketamine "I was having suicidal ideations when I got my first Spravato last Thursday. The thoughts went away until Saturday morning when I was a mess. I had my second Spravato Monday and have had no ideations back. I am still depressed, but it is working for me. I have my third treatment tomorrow."

• tth...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 30, 2023

Esketamine "After my second treatment, I am feeling more depressed and very tearful and hopeless. I am not sure it’s worth continuing. I have had only very minor side effects, so the treatment wasn’t awful. Just not working as quickly as I hoped and actually feeling worse."

• Bet...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• March 7, 2022

Esketamine "I’m happy with my results. It took me until the 4th week to feel substantially better. I’m a few months into a weekly maintenance schedule. I found the treatments somewhat unpleasant initially, but soon grew used to them. My advice: It’s not a miracle cure, so try to temper your expectations—the limited studies have shown that Spravato + a new antidepressant is maybe 30% more effective than a new antidepressant alone. Although the manufacturer contends people might feel better within days, not everyone will. It’s not a psychedelic therapy; any dissociation is a side effect—talk to your doctor about how Spravato works. The intensity of the dissociation is not an indication of how strong a given treatment is. It’s not a treatment for bipolar, anxiety, or PTSD."

• Edd...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• March 22, 2020

"Have been in an esketamine trial for nearly two years. Has been quite helpful. I have experienced only one real bad downtime (when getting out of bed is difficult, etc.) and it was much shorter, a few weeks compared to my normal of months. While the drug hasn't brought me up to where I want to be, it has really limited the bottoming out. I was in a very low state when I first started taking it and am much more functional."

• spr...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 11, 2022

Esketamine "Started at the Spravato clinic a month ago. The sessions are in a group, which leads to fascinating conversations while under the influence of this drug. Enjoying the camaraderie with fellow patients and the inhibition/disassociative effects. Yes, you can get high on this stuff. I haven't experienced any healing yet from my depression, however, I've had more stressors than usual this past month, so that benefit may take longer to manifest. Others in my group session have seen great improvement in their mental health. So I suggest to those considering the treatment to at least give it a go!"