Spravato in Sacramento
A nasal spray for treatment-resistant depression, taken here under two hours of monitoring.
The basics
What is Spravato?
Spravato is a prescription nasal spray, based on esketamine, for treatment-resistant depression. You take it here in our office and stay for two hours of monitoring.
It acts on a different brain system than oral antidepressants, which is why many patients notice a shift in days rather than weeks. Spravato is typically the fastest of the treatments we offer, and it is often the one a provider reaches for when several medications have failed and symptoms feel urgent.
It is taken under supervision rather than at home. That is a requirement of the program and a safeguard we take seriously, and it is also why the visit is built the way it is.
A visit
What a Spravato visit is actually like
About two hours including the monitoring period, twice weekly for the first four weeks, then tapered.
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1
You take it yourself, here
The nasal spray is self-administered in our office under the supervision of our clinical team. Nothing is sent home with you, and nothing is taken between visits.
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2
Two hours of monitoring
You rest under observation while our team monitors you. It is a quiet, private two hours, and the room is set up for actually resting rather than sitting in a clinic chair.
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3
Your ride home is arranged first
You do not drive after a session, so the ride home is arranged before you ever leave. You can drive again the next day after a restful sleep.
Coverage & candidacy
Who it is for, and what it costs
Spravato is available by prescription only. A licensed provider decides whether it is appropriate for you.
Spravato is for treatment-resistant depression, meaning at least two antidepressants at an adequate dose and duration have failed to give adequate relief. Those failed trials are also precisely what unlocks coverage.
Spravato is generally covered with prior authorization. We submit the documentation, follow up with your insurer, and call you when it is approved, so the paperwork is our job rather than yours. See the plans we work with.
For severe treatment-resistant depression a provider may combine Spravato with TMS therapy, or start one and add the other. That is a case-by-case clinical decision, and it is one of the advantages of having every treatment in a single practice.
Common questions
Frequently asked questions about Spravato
If your question is not here, call (916) 800-4363 and a person will answer.
Spravato is an FDA-approved prescription nasal spray, based on esketamine, for treatment-resistant depression. You take it at our Sacramento office under supervision rather than at home, and it acts on a different brain system than oral antidepressants.
Spravato is typically the fastest treatment we offer. Because it acts on a different brain system than oral antidepressants, many patients notice a shift in mood within days rather than weeks, and some the same day.
You take the nasal spray yourself here in the office, then rest under observation for about two hours while we monitor you. A ride home is arranged before you leave, because you do not drive after a session.
Twice weekly for the first four weeks, then the schedule tapers. Each visit takes about two hours including the monitoring period.
Spravato is generally covered with prior authorization. We submit the documentation, follow up with your insurer, and call you when it is approved, so the paperwork is our job rather than yours.
Sometimes, yes. For severe treatment-resistant depression a provider may combine them, or start one and add the other. That is a clinical decision made case by case at your consultation.
See if Spravato
fits your situation
The consultation is free. A provider reviews what you have tried, confirms whether you meet criteria, and we verify your coverage before anything is scheduled.