Advanced Treatment
Esketamine (SPRAVATO®)
About one in three people with depression do not find adequate relief from antidepressants. Esketamine works through a different mechanism and can help when other medications have not.
Certified Spravato Treatment Center
How It Works
A different mechanism, for people for whom other treatments haven't worked.
Esketamine acts on the glutamate system rather than serotonin. That difference is why it can work when standard antidepressants have not, and why some patients notice improvement within days rather than weeks.
01
In-Office Administration
Esketamine is a nasal spray administered in our office under clinical supervision. It is not a take-home medication.
02
Monitored Recovery
After administration, you rest in our office for approximately two hours while we monitor for any side effects. You will need a ride home or a rideshare after each appointment.
03
Ongoing Schedule
The induction phase is twice weekly for four weeks, followed by once weekly, then once every one to two weeks. Your provider will adjust based on your response.
Who It's For
When other treatments haven't been enough.
FDA-Approved Indications
Treatment-resistant depression in adults who have not responded to at least two antidepressants.
Major depression with thoughts of self-harm in adults who need a faster-acting option alongside standard treatment.
Covered by most major insurance plans for qualifying diagnoses. We verify your coverage before you begin.Contact us or call 508.418.6888x108 with any questions.
Self-Screen
Not sure if Esketamine is right for you?
Take the PHQ-9
This two-minute questionnaire helps us understand your depression symptoms before we speak. Share your score when you call or email us.
Patient Testimonials
Real Patients,real results.
TMS Patient
Massachusetts Psychiatric Services
Patient story - Audio
Read transcript
"Prior to treatment, I was feeling very depressed. I'd used a lot of treatments that hadn't worked well for me, or didn't work at all, and Spravato was just a good add-on to what I'd been taking to help make me less depressed and feel better. I wasn't nervous per se, but I think I prepared myself for what Spravato was and had an idea of what it would feel like. It was a little different from that — you do need to know it's going to make you feel weird, drugged up, a little trippy during the treatment. You just have to roll with it. I'd suggest listening to music, sucking on some hard candy since it tastes pretty bad when it gets in your mouth, and just relaxing through it with mellow music. It has definitely lifted my depression — I do feel better. I still have some depressed days, but they're few and far between. I feel like Spravato has helped me greatly as an adjunct treatment, and I'd definitely encourage somebody who's thinking about trying it to give it a shot. It works quickly."
Read transcript
"For the entire year before I started eketamine treatments, I was incredibly depressed and on a lot of heavy psychiatric meds that were making it almost impossible to function in my normal life, but not providing any mood benefit. I ended up coming off all of those meds before I started ketamine, and since I've started, I'm 38 and I have never had a period of time in my life that my mood has been this high or this stable — it's been almost magical. The treatments themselves are somewhat rough physically — I get really dizzy and sometimes I vomit — but the discomfort only lasts about two hours, and the benefits of the ketamine far outweigh any of the negative side effects during the actual treatment. I would really recommend it to anybody who struggles with depression and hasn't had any medication treatment that's working."
Patient at Massachusetts Psychiatric Services
Patient Testimonials
"I had tried four antidepressants over six years. Nothing touched it. After my third SPRAVATO® session, I felt something shift. For the first time in years, I woke up and wasn't dreading the day."
Patient at Massachusetts Psychiatric Services
"The process was gentler than I expected. The staff stayed with me the whole time. I drove home two hours later feeling okay, and things got better from there."
Patient at Massachusetts Psychiatric Services