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Spravato

Have you struggled to treat your depression?

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Depression is a serious illness that is often overlooked and misunderstood. It affects each patient differently and can become so severe that one develops suicidal thoughts or behavior. If you suffer from depression symptoms and have not found relief in medications and therapy such as TMS therapy, SPRAVATO (esketamine treatment) may be a great treatment option for you.

Alium Health

Alium Health is a certified SPRAVATO treatment center for patients who suffer from treatment-resistant depression (TRD), or depressive symptoms in adults with major depressive disorder (MDD) with acute suicidal ideation or behavior. In addition, Alium Health offers talk therapy by highly trained therapist and counselor’s for various behavioral health conditions.

If you have tried medication for your depression and you are not getting better, Spravato® may be right for you.

SPRAVATO® is only available at certified SPRAVATO® treatment centers under the supervision of a healthcare provider.

Benefits of Care

REMS-Certified Facility

Our healthcare facility is certified in the SPRAVATO Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS). This is a set of standards developed by the FDA to ensure your safety and well-being as you undergo SPRAVATO treatment in our facility.

Patient-Focused Treatment

We believe that each patient's journey with depression is unique and must be handled with care. That is why we will create a tailored treatment plan that works best for you, so you can lead a healthy and fulfilling life.

Highly Trained Staff

Our staff is highly trained to dispense and administer SPRAVATO to patients who need it to treat their depression. We have also implemented policies and procedures to ensure the safe handling, storage, and disposal of SPRAVATO in accordance with federal, state, and local regulations and laws.

Healing Environment

Patients who feel comfortable and at ease throughout the recovery process are more likely to remain committed to treatment. Hence, we are devoted to providing compassionate patient care and maintaining a positive atmosphere in our facility.

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There is help for TRD and MDD

Talk to our psychiatric provider to find out if you would benefit from Spravato® and get back to living life.

Spravato® plus medication has shown a rapid reduction of depressive symptoms as quickly as 24 hours.

What is SPRAVATO?

SPRAVATO is a nasal spray that contains esketamine, a non-competitive N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist. Used in conjunction with a traditional oral antidepressant, it is the first and only one of its kind approved to treat 2 subtypes of major depressive disorder (MDD) in adult patients:

 

• Treatment-resistant depression (TRD), which is defined as having failed to respond to 2 or more antidepressant medications at adequate doses during the current episode.

 

• Depressive symptoms with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) with acute suicidal thoughts or behavior (MDSI)

 

SPRAVATO has been proven to reduce depression symptoms within 24 hours, unlike antidepressant medications that take weeks to work. Since depression needs to be treated in a timely manner, this is a great option for patients who need significant symptom relief until a comprehensive, long-term treatment plan becomes available.

How Does SPRAVATO Treatment Work?

SPRAVATO is a nasal spray that contains esketamine, a non-competitive N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist. Used in conjunction with a traditional oral antidepressant, it is the first and only one of its kind approved to treat 2 subtypes of Major Depressive
Disorder (MDD) in adult patients:

 

• Treatment-resistant depression (TRD), which is defined as having failed to respond to 2 or more antidepressant medications at adequate doses during the current episode.

 

• Depressive symptoms with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) with acute suicidal thoughts or behavior (MDSI)

 

SPRAVATO has been proven to reduce depression symptoms within 24 hours, unlike antidepressant medications that take weeks to work. Since depression needs to be treated in a timely manner, this is a great option for patients who need significant symptom relief until a comprehensive, long-term treatment plan becomes available.

Who Cannot Undergo SPRAVATO Treatment?

A patient who has any of the following conditions should not undergo SPRAVATO treatment:

  • blood vessel disease

  • abnormal connection between your veins and arteries 

  • history of bleeding in the brain

  • allergy to any of the ingredients in SPRAVATO

 

If you and your healthcare provider decide that SPRAVATO could be part of your treatment plan, contact us today.

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Here is how treatment works:

Step 1: Consultation

On your first visit, we will evaluate if you are a candidate for SPRAVATO (esketamine) treatment based on your medical history and symptoms, including:

 

• Suicidal ideation or behavior

 

• Severe allergic reactions to esketamine, ketamine, or any component of the SPRAVATO treatment

 

• Untreated or poorly controlled serious psychiatric illness (e.g., schizophrenia or bipolar disorder)

 

• Alcohol or substance abuse/dependence that has not been adequately addressed by the use of 

standard treatments

 

We will also discuss safety information and answer any questions you may have. It is important that you understand how everything works so that you know what you are getting into with treatment.

Step 2: Treatment Plan

After a comprehensive assessment is complete, we will discuss an individualized treatment plan with you that is tailored to your needs. We will also schedule your actual appointments and thoroughly check your insurance plans to make sure they cover our services.

 

Alium Health will attempt to compile all the necessary information for your insurance to determine if they will cover the Spravato treatment.  Insurance will require a Prior Authorization (PA) to cover the Spravato treatment. This process can take some time depending on the insurance, usually 1-3 weeks.  We will do our best to update you during this process.  Counseling and care coordination are available during this time if needed. We will work hard to make sure that your case is reviewed as quickly as possible and that a favorable outcome is achieved.

 

You will also need to plan ahead of time for your rides on treatment days since driving or operating machinery will not be possible until the following day after a restful sleep.

Step 3: Treatment

On your second visit, you will finally begin treatment. We will instruct you how to use the SPRAVATO nasal spray, and once you are ready, you may administer your dose under our supervision. We will monitor you afterward for at least 2 hours to check for possible side effects. 

 

 

Once we deem you fit to leave, you may go home with your ride.

Step 4: Evaluation

You will undergo SPRAVATO treatment twice a week for the first month. We will then evaluate you to determine whether or not you should continue with treatment. If you are fit to do so, you will undergo treatment once a week during the second month, and then once a week or once every other week during the third month onwards.

Possible Side Effects

One common side effect is an increase in blood pressure, but this usually goes away after 4 hours. Other side effects that may occur and should disappear on the same day of your treatment include the following:

 

• dizziness

• spinning sensation

• nausea

• decreased feeling of sensitivity

• lack of energy

• vomiting

• feeling anxious

• feeling drunk

• feeling happy 

• feeling excited

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