Patients at a Long Island hospital are reporting life-changing results from an FDA-approved ketamine nasal spray (Spravato) for severe depression, claiming it works better and faster than traditional antidepressants like Prozac.
Doctors at Mather Hospital on Long Island are employing an FDA-approved esketamine nasal spray, Spravato, to combat severe clinical depression, with patients experiencing remarkable improvements. Ellen Talmage, 66, a patient, attests that the treatment has been more effective and rapid than decades of Prozac, transforming her from reclusive to actively engaged in life. Roughly 62% of the nearly 40 patients in Mather’s program have reported symptom improvements. Dr. Erin Dainer, Mather Hospital’s psychiatry chair, hails the treatment as a potential 'game changer,' noting profound shifts in patients' ability to engage with life and plan for the future. The multiweek program begins with a low dose administered twice weekly, with patients monitored for two hours post-session due to potential vivid reactions. Unlike conventional antidepressants targeting serotonin and norepinephrine, esketamine focuses on NMDA receptors, a 'completely different pathway' for mood alteration. Inpatient psychiatrist Paniz Johari anticipates this treatment will significantly impact treatment-resistant depression in the next decade. The hospital staff is well aware of the stigma linked to illicit ketamine use, stressing strict regulations and monitoring to ensure the medical treatment's safety and efficacy, differentiating it from tragic incidents like Matthew Perry’s overdose. Another anonymous patient credited the treatment with empowering him to become a peer-to-peer counselor.
