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Session guide · Spravato

What to Expect at Your First Spravato Session

Spravato is an esketamine nasal spray approved by the FDA for adults with treatment-resistant depression, and for depressive symptoms in adults with major depression who have suicidal thoughts or behavior. You take it yourself at a certified clinic, then stay for at least two hours of monitoring.[1]

This is the general shape of a session, not your clinic’s protocol and not medical advice. Every clinic does things a little differently, so ask your clinic how they work.

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What to expect

Before, during, and after

01

Before

  • Your provider often works with your insurance on approval before the first treatment.
  • The label advises no food for 2 hours and no liquids for 30 minutes before each dose, because some people feel nauseous.[1]
  • Plan to be at the clinic for a few hours, and arrange a ride home.
  • Feeling uneasy about a first visit is normal. Staff at a certified clinic do this every day. Ask them anything.
02

During

  • A clinician checks your blood pressure first.[1]
  • You use the nasal spray yourself while a clinician watches.
  • Feeling detached or dreamy is common, and so is a rise in blood pressure. Both usually ease over the next few hours, which is why you stay for at least two hours of monitoring.[1]
  • Dizziness, nausea, and sleepiness are also common and pass.[1]
  • You can speak up or ask staff for help at any time.
03

After

  • Staff check that you are ready before you leave.[1]
  • No driving or operating machinery until the next day, after a restful sleep. This is part of the drug’s label, not just a clinic rule.[1]
  • Spravato is given only at certified clinics. If a listing mentions both Spravato and other ketamine options, ask which visit they are booking for you.
Sources
  1. Spravato (esketamine) prescribing information. DailyMed, National Library of Medicine.
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