Spravato

Spravato® Treatment in Charlotte: A New Option for Treatment-Resistant Depression

Charlotte Ketamine Center is expanding our treatment options to include Spravato® (esketamine) nasal spray, an FDA-approved treatment for adults with treatment-resistant depression.

We have extensive experience using ketamine-based therapies for patients whose depression has not adequately responded to conventional treatment. After years of successful clinical use of Spravato throughout the United States, we believe it has become an important treatment option to offer our patients.

Why Are We Adding Spravato?

Spravato was first FDA-approved in 2019 for adults with treatment-resistant depression. Since then, experience with the medication has grown substantially, providing physicians and patients with an increasingly well-established record of its effectiveness and safety.

Spravato is related to ketamine but is administered as a nasal spray rather than an intravenous infusion. Like ketamine, it works differently from traditional antidepressants, acting primarily through the brain's glutamate system.

We will continue to offer IV ketamine treatment. Spravato provides us with an additional option so that treatment can be individualized for each patient.

An Important Advantage: Insurance Coverage

One of the limitations of IV ketamine therapy for depression is that insurance companies frequently do not cover the treatment because its use for depression is considered off-label.

Spravato is FDA-approved for treatment-resistant depression and is covered by many commercial insurance plans for patients who meet their medical-necessity requirements. Prior authorization is usually required, and coverage varies among insurance companies and individual policies. Our office can help determine a patient's benefits and whether authorization for Spravato treatment can be obtained.

For appropriate patients, insurance coverage can make this type of treatment considerably more accessible.

Treatment in an Experienced Medical Setting

Spravato must be administered in a certified healthcare facility. Patients administer the nasal spray themselves while under the supervision of a healthcare professional.

After receiving Spravato, patients remain in our office for at least two hours of observation. During this period, our clinical team monitors the patient and watches for temporary effects such as sedation, dizziness, changes in perception or dissociation, and increases in blood pressure.

Patients must arrange transportation home following treatment and cannot drive until the following day after a restful night's sleep.

Experience Matters

Spravato may be a newer antidepressant, but ketamine-based treatment is not new to Charlotte Ketamine Center. Our experience with ketamine therapy gives our medical team an established understanding of these treatments and the monitoring required to administer them safely in an outpatient environment.

Spravato combines many of the characteristics that have made ketamine treatment valuable with several additional advantages: FDA approval, standardized nasal dosing, an established national safety and monitoring program, and potential insurance coverage.

Is Spravato Right for You?

Spravato is not appropriate for everyone. Before beginning treatment, patients undergo an evaluation that includes their history of depression, previous treatments, medications, medical conditions, blood pressure, and other relevant factors.

For people who have struggled with depression despite trying conventional treatments, Spravato represents another important option.

At Charlotte Ketamine Center, our goal has always been to provide innovative, evidence-based treatments in a carefully monitored medical environment. Adding Spravato is a natural extension of that mission—and allows us to make ketamine-based treatment accessible to more patients who may benefit from it.

Contact Charlotte Ketamine Center at 704-519-6918 to learn more about Spravato treatment, insurance coverage, and whether you may be a candidate.