TMS THERAPY
FDA-cleared, non-medication depression treatment
Medically reviewed on by
Regional Medical Director Greater St. Louis
When you’re getting ready to come into Greenbrook for your first SPRAVATO® treatment, you may want to know more about the observation period for SPRAVATO®. It only takes a few seconds to spray the medication into your nose, with five-minute waiting periods between each dose. Despite this quick application, there’s a mandatory two-hour period during which you must stay at the center for observation. So, what happens during this waiting period after SPRAVATO® treatment?
All you need to do during the observation period for SPRAVATO® is sit back, relax, and get settled into your comfortable recliner. If you brought earphones and listening material for your observation period after SPRAVATO®, such as an audiobook or a relaxing playlist, you can get started with that. Ask your Care Team for a sucker to help mitigate the potential metallic taste the esketamine may leave behind.
Most of our patients like to close their eyes and listen to music throughout the duration of the waiting period after SPRAVATO® treatment. If you have a more animated reaction to the medication, we can accommodate your need for an enhanced sensory setting.
Your Care Team will be nearby should you need any assistance. They’ll make sure you’re comfortable and have what you need for the observation period before giving you space to zone out for a while.
Side effects of SPRAVATO® include feelings of dissociation, perceptual illusions, sleepiness, nausea, dizziness, anxiety, feeling drunk, and elevated blood pressure. To monitor any changes in blood pressure, your Care Team will check your blood pressure at least three times during your visit.
As with any medication or medical treatment, there is a small risk of more serious SPRAVATO® side effects. Tell your provider immediately if you experience a sudden severe headache, a change in vision, chest pain, or shortness of breath during the waiting period.
Dissociation, the most common side effect of SPRAVATO®, can make you feel disconnected from yourself. Or, you might experience auditory or visual hallucinations, similar to those you may have experienced during a fever. You might feel a prickly or tingly sensation throughout your body or strangely hot or cold. Sometimes, dissociation makes you feel incredibly sensitive to light.
Some patients enjoy these feelings of dissociation, while others find them uncomfortable. The good news is that dissociation tends to peak about 40 minutes into the treatment, and then rapidly decreases after that.
Many patients also experience sedation, or sleepiness, as a main SPRAVATO® side effect. However, only a small number of patients actually fall asleep or lose consciousness. Let your Care Team know if you feel you simply cannot stay awake during the observation period. If you are still feeling extremely sleepy after two hours, your Care Team may require you to remain under observation past the two-hour mark.
We encourage you to take it easy and relax in your reclining chair after taking esketamine nasal spray. You may read, watch TV, listen to music, sleep, or just let your mind go where the esketamine takes you. If you’re a busy parent or feel constantly stressed by work, it can help to think of the observation period for esketamine nasal spray as a special time set aside for you to rest and take care of yourself.
Because nausea and vomiting are potential side effects of SPRAVATO®, you must stop eating two hours before treatment and refrain from drinking any fluids 30 minutes before your appointment. Snacks and drinks are not allowed during the waiting period after SPRAVATO® treatment, but you may resume eating and drinking after you leave. Your Care Team will share specific instructions before you leave.
You will also need to arrange a ride home and must avoid operating machinery or engaging in activities that require you to be alert, even after the observation period for SPRAVATO®. The medication will leave your body within seven to 12 hours after you take it. Plan to rest and relax.
Our SPRAVATO® REMS-certified clinics are a comfortable and relaxing setting for your ketamine-based treatment for depression. We provide private rooms or bays for your treatment sessions yet can accommodate multiple patients at once, meaning you won’t experience delays in treatment. Your Greenbrook Care Team will attend to your needs from the beginning to the end of each session.
We also provide TMS therapy should you prefer a medication-free option with fewer side effects.
Schedule a free consultation with one of our Patient Consultants to learn more about how we can help lift the fog of depression.
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