Scientific Data Says Spravato Offers Real Help for Severe Depression
Spravato is all over places like TikTok and Reddit as a way to get fast relief from depression. If you’re living with depression, reels and testimonials from people who have tried Spravato can feel like glimmers of hope in the darkness. Does Spravato really help with depression? While useful, word of mouth can’t tell the whole story. You also need the data.
Luckily, Spravato is a well-researched, rigorously tested treatment. That means you can look at years of data when making a choice about trying Spravato. Let’s break down what science says about how Spravato treats depression. Plus, we’ll discuss what taking Spravato actually feels like from the patient perspective.
First, What Is Spravato?
Let’s quickly dive into what Spravato treatments are before covering what the science says. Spravato is the brand name of the only FDA-approved nasal spray for adults with treatment-resistant depression (TRD) or major depressive disorder (MDD). It’s a treatment medical professionals prescribe for the rapid reduction of severe depression symptoms in critical situations. They might also prescribe Spravato if your depression symptoms haven’t improved after trying at least two other antidepressant medications.
How Spravato Treats Depression
Spravato is made of a molecule called esketamine that’s derived from ketamine. Its potency allows patients to use a lower dose that produces fewer side effects. Spravato differs from traditional antidepressant medications that target serotonin and other brain chemicals because it blocks methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors instead. This helps to boost communication between brain cells to provide instant relief from symptoms in a few hours to a few days. What sets Spravato apart from traditional antidepressants is that it supports neuroplasticity (the ability to form new connections between brain cells) to balance your mood on the cellular level instead of masking symptoms.
Does Spravato Really Get Rid of Depression?
One of the clearest studies on Spravato’s efficacy was published in 2025. Using a double-blind randomized clinical trial of 378 adults with TRD, researchers saw “statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement” of depressive symptoms versus a placebo — with results initially observed at 24 hours after the first dose and through day 28 of the double-blind treatment phase. A study in Spain looking at 189 patients with TRD being treated with Spravato found that 80.4% achieved response or remission during the induction phase and 90% achieved response or remission during the maintenance phase.
When looking at physician-reported data, 80% noted high satisfaction with the achievement of patient treatment goals with Spravato, with many believing that improvement in depressive symptoms occurred in 100% of patients during the first 1 to 30 days of treatment.
Research also highlights Spravato’s potential harm reduction and life-saving benefits. A study published in 2023 established esketamine as a superior treatment that can work rapidly (within four hours) to reduce symptoms of major depressive disorder with acute suicidal ideation (MDSI). Notably, most people who took Spravato experienced significant symptom reduction within 24 hours.
What Makes Spravato Different From Traditional Antidepressants?
Timing is Spravato’s biggest benefit over traditional antidepressants for people in crisis or at-risk situations. When administered as a nasal spray, esketamine enters the bloodstream rapidly via the nasal lining. It bypasses the digestive system to reach the brain almost instantly and begins acting on glutamate receptors. Traditional oral antidepressants are absorbed through the digestive system and have a buildup effect that may take four to six weeks to produce noticeable results.
Spravato also has a different mechanism compared to traditional antidepressants, called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs). These medications work by increasing serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine to balance mood over time. Instead, Spravato blocks N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors to allow a neurotransmitter called glutamate to surge. This surge helps to birth new brain synapses in zones of the brain associated with mood. In other words, Spravato is the first depression treatment that reduces symptoms by boosting brain neuroplasticity.
What Does Taking Spravato Feel Like?
You may be wondering what Spravato’s effect of lifting depression symptoms feels like. Like any medication, Spravato’s effects can vary by person. However, your care provider can tell you what to expect based on reported patient experiences. Here’s what you might experience after taking Spravato:
- Extreme Calm: Most people report a wave of calm and relaxation that allows anxiety and concern to melt away. You may also experience what patients have described as a pleasant “warm and tingling” sensation that runs down your body.
- Mood Stabilization: It’s common for a sense of urgency or feeling of impending dread to give way to a more relaxed, regulated mood in everyday life.
- Mental Lightness: Along with mood regulation, Spravato can produce a feeling of the heaviness of depression lifting.
- Optimism: A positive outlook and increased motivation are common.
- Clarity: Confusion and indecision can give way to a broader perspective where you’re able to process thoughts more clearly. This can be especially beneficial when combining Spravato treatment with traditional talk or behavioral therapy.
- Dissociation: Some patients taking Spravato experience temporary dissociation characterized by a detachment from their usual perspective. You’ll be monitored for a minimum of two hours after each treatment to ensure safety.
- Revitalization: Following any initial feelings of disassociation that might last one to two hours following treatment, patients generally return to a more cogent state of being with a newfound sense of refreshment and renewal. Expect to return to normal daily life and activities the day after treatment.
Talk to a Caring Professional About Spravato Today
If you struggle with treatment-resistant depression that hasn’t responded to talk therapy or antidepressants, Spravato may be an appropriate next step. At Oasis Mental Health Centers in New Jersey, we specialize in depression relief. Based on your symptoms and treatment history, we’ll help you decide if Spravato nasal spray is something to explore in your journey to mood stabilization and wellness. Call us today to schedule your confidential, pressure-free appointment to learn more.
Sources:
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/treatment-tests-and-therapies/esketamine-for-treatment-resistant-depression
https://www.spravato.com/what-is-spravato/
https://www.jnjmedicalconnect.com/products/spravato/medical-content/real-world-evidence-effectiveness-and-safety-of-spravato-therapy
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/fullarticle/2836115
https://www.jnjmedicalconnect.com/products/spravato/medical-content/real-world-evidence-effectiveness-and-safety-of-spravato-therapy#INTEGRATE_study
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41386-023-01577-5
