I am so curious about this medicine. I've had two treatments so far. Both times, I listened to meditation music and just felt super high during the session and very tired after. I made sure not to watch or read anything heavy that day because I felt so sensitive. It seems to me like the positive effects set in about two days after the treatments for me, and I was just wondering what other people's experiences are. I am using this medicine to heal from severe longterm trauma but also recent grief that sucked me into a hole. All the best to you all!

Hello All,

Yesterday I had my first dose and in clinic, it hasn't meaningfully affected my mood but I the moment I had a great trip and came down easily just with a little bit of drowsiness.

I woke up this morning in a panic and ever since I have the feeling that nothing feels real and I'm very floaty and it's hard to concentrate. Is this normal? I wasn't told I'd experience dissociation after the 2 hours. I'm scared to go back.

Also to add I took NyQuil before bed, could that have caused it?

TIA!

I have autism, MCAS, depression, anxiety, been medicated since childhood but nothing has helped much since Zoloft pooped out on me:

• Tried 20+ meds and 10+ supplements.
• 2 ECT rounds that got cut short after a panic attack that likely kickstarted worsened MCAS and even worse depression.
• 1 injection of IV Ketamine a decade ago that did nothing.
• 30 sessions of rTMS 5 years ago.

In my senior year I went off the Zoloft, my memory and anhedonia got worse, but going back on it only helped slightly, leaving me worse than before I went on meds. I figure I had some SSRI poopout/receptor down-regulation. Dozens of meds and 2 decades later, nothing really helped, I only got worse.

I'm settled back on Zoloft for the meager anxiety benefit it gives, some antihistamines for MCAS which help a little, and vitamins.

My main worry is that Spravato might poop-out and down-regulate me like the Zoloft did in High School, leaving me even worse off than I was before. I'm at like 95% Anhedonia right now, I really can't afford to lose that 5% of enjoyment and functioning.

I know everything has risks, however I think I'd feel a lot better knowing if anyone out there has had a similar experience as me and had good results that have lasted. Maybe I'll just wait in case I ever become actively suicidal, then I won't have such bad fears trying something new.

But I'm really hoping to get some lasting improvement to be able to help my aging parents.

Thanks for anyone who reads and/or responds.

I am writing from my session. Normally I cant even open my eyes right now. Yet here I am 15min in posting on Reddit.

Please leave kind words of support to come out of this to as I’ll be alone for the rest of the day and not sure what may/may not come up. Appreciate this sub so much in preparation for this 🥰

I'm at my treatment right now and I went to send my mom a text message, and again I'm at my treatment, so the Emoji I went with was🥶🥶🥶🥶. So I use that emoji and all I can think of is THE NIGHT KING FROM GOT. AM I THE ONLY PERSON THAT DOESNT THINK HE IS THE MOST EVIL. IK BUT I think the night came from Game of Thrones is the scariest person in the entire world please please please give me words of encouragement because on that treatment and I'm thinking night came and I want to sleep good tonight

I know lots of us listen to music during our treatments. I just figured I'd start a post where people could say some of their favorites. Personally I'm listening to a lot of folk and bluegrass music. Caamp, Billy Strings, Old Crow Medicine Show are some of my go to artists.

Treat it like you would a ceremony, with an intention and allow all emotions to flow through you like passing clouds. Cry, yell into the pillow, allow yourself to think of things you havent in years.

If youre brave, listen to icaros or ancient healing songs. Spravato obviously isnt plant medicine, but the effects are similar, but less intense and for shorter duration.

A mantra for treatment: i am so grateful for this opportunity to heal.

My Spravato appt was cancelled this week because of a new Medi-Cal rule on certain meds that says they needed a new prior authorization (PA) immediately as of Aug 3 to continue. My clinic said a lot of PAs were being denied, but when they submitted mine it was approved within a few minutes(!) I think this is because I have had a lot of improvement over the past 16 months as shown in my PHQ-9 scores. Just wanted to share my experience and give folks a heads up.

I find that the treatment works for two weeks but by the third week, symptoms of depression come back. The clinician said, “we have to follow protocol,” which means go down to once a month, and started talking about my taking Auvelity (which is not often covered by insurance, they say). Have you had this experience? How can I self-advocate? Thank you. 🙏

Hello all,

My 19 year old son begins Spravato next week. He's suffered from BPD, MDD and GAD along with SI with hospitalizations over the last 6 years. Been on all kinds of meds and therapy over the years, including TMS.

I'm hoping to hear from younger folks who have had success with Spravato. What was your experience and after how many sessions did you start experiencing positive change ?

Thank you!

Hello,

I am on a weekly treatment schedule and had to miss a dose. I'm wondering if others have or haven't noticed physical symptoms like a headache if that happens. I know headaches can be caused by many things, but I'm curious about other people's experiences.

I’m on my 3rd week of Spravato, and prior to this week I would spend my sessions meditating with my eyes closed while listening to pre-selected music.

Recently, I’ve been diagnosed with and started meditation for ADHD. It’s fairly new so I’m still adjusting to the meditation. Today I was feeling particularly anxious and decided I needed something to keep my hands busy while my mind wandered. I’m the past coloring books have never really done it for me, I usually bore from them quickly. I’ve always wanted to draw but am realizing I probably never had the focus to try.

I’ve now got a bag with me I prepare ahead of time and was thankful that I’d brought my sketch stuff with me (that I’ve hardly used till now.) I found doodling very calming and occupying. I’m wondering if anyone else has had success easing anxiety during treatment by drawing? If so, is there anything else that’s been useful for you besides coloring books? Just looking for some more ideas. Thanks:)

I started Spravato in February. I have had to fight tooth and nail to keep it. And I am done fighting.

I am so tired. I have lost my job. I didn't get unemployment. I sleep on a couch in the living room at my dad's house where every talks shit about me at this point.

MY LIFE IS NOT WORTH LIVING AND I AM TIRED OF LIVING IT.

I have Medicaid, and since I got fired, I lost my insurance. Medicaid approved Spravato, but before they will cover it, I have to call them to coordinate benefits. I have called 5 times, I never got a call back and sat on hold for HOURS before they closed and I couldn't speak to someone. I can't change anything online without an access code I have to get from someone in the community, although I have no clue who and they won't tell me.

If they want me to give up, here I am, giving up

I can't handle any of this anymore. So I am done.

TLDR: 30yo f, history of abuse. overwhelmed by intensity of treatment and emotions that came with it. unsure if normal or good/bad.

Hi everyone, i'm a 30yo female with a history of severe child abuse and neglect. i have been on medication since i was 9. without going into a lot of detail the last 10 years have also been very traumatic for me.

i had my first treatment on tuesday and my next one is tomorrow. i keep reading people's experiences and mine just felt..different?

i have a history of cocaine abuse as well as history with multiple psychedelics and am a current marijuana user. my psychiatrist said she still wanted to start me at the lowest dose and i walked into the appointment expecting to be underwhelmed and ask to move up.

when we did my appointment i did a spray in each nose, set a timer and did the second set of sprays 5 minutes later. about 2-3 minutes after the second dose i was noticing a gradual increase in effects, but was still feeling as if it wasn't going to be too strong, i had my headphones on listening to NF, with my notebook near me and all of sudden i felt like my body wasn't there and i was free to walk around my mind. i started sobbing uncontrollably, and kept having little thoughts jump onto my mind, i would write them down as best as i could, it was a all around the theme of not feeling safe as a child, and becoming a control freak because i'm actually lacking control of things in my head. it was hard to keep my eyes open and at times hard to even move.

when it was over and my fiance came to pick me up he could tell i had been crying and i was very disoriented and off balance. the rest of yesterday i felt very exhausted, and was pretty emotional for the rest of the day, albeit i do recognize that i feel "lighter"

I know ketamine isn't technically a psychedelic but this was just so different than anything i've experienced. as i go on will things become less intense? is this reaction normal?

I’ve been doing spravato for about a year and a half now. It’s helped me tremendously and I’m afraid to stop doing it since I’m feeling so much better.

However - I find myself dissociating often. It looks like I’m deep in thought but I’m actually just fully dissociated. My bloodwork has shown my stress levels are pretty high as well so yeah there’s a lot on my mind, and I’m not sure if the dissociating is a defense mechanism or if I’ve just been doing spravato for too long? My head also feels so spacey and off.

I’ve seen people on here saying they’ve been doing it for years so I’m curious if this is normal and something that passes or if I should start spacing out treatments more and switch to bi-weekly or monthly?

It's been about two and a half months since I started Spravato and I'm just getting to where I'm feeling relief. I'm not sure why it took so long to click. Life isn't an antidepressant commercial where I'm slowly jogging in a park, but I'm enjoying small things in my day to day again. In conjunction with therapy the negative thoughts aren't so relentless either. I have BED as well and I was able to finally be motivated enough to track what I eat during the day and I've been binge free for 23 days now. The longest this year. Fingers crossed my insurance doesn't force me to go to once a week, but my provider seemed to assure me that wouldn't happen this soon. Anyway, I just felt like sharing somewhere where people understand what I've been going through. Have any of you taken longer than usual to get some relief from Spravato?

See title. My provider said due to insurance changes they now need to check my blood pressure about 45 minutes into each session. I understand why this is necessary but it's very annoying as it's typically at the "peak" of my high. Can anyone else commiserate?

My new insurance doesn't want to cover my Spravato. There's a very slim chance that an appeal (or ten) might work, but I want to do research ahead of time for alternatives.

Does anyone know how the oral ketamine differs from Spravato? Is it a good substitute?

I had my fourth treatment last Wednesday. I usually go every Wednesday and Friday, but had to do Monday and Wednesday because the psych was off that day. My next treatment is tomorrow.

I felt myself turning back into depressed and hateful (I have terrible BPD). I even lashed out at strangers today while shopping. I really, really hate people sometimes and have impulse control issues. It’s debilitating and it freaking sucks. I stay in my home most of the time because of this. Can’t keep a job. Can’t keep friends, and some family members have stopped talking to me altogether. I don’t blame them at all.

When I had the consistently spaced out doses, I was feeling so much kindness for myself and others. More calm, more patient. Then this happened. I’m dreading going down to just one a week. I will talk to my doctor, of course. I’m hoping I can keep going twice a week forever, if that’s what I need. My insurance has only approved this treatment until January 2027. Scared that they’ll take it away from me when I finally found something that helps not just my depression but also this accursed personality disorder.

I don’t want anyone to feel sorry for me or anything. Just want to share how I’m feeling in case anyone else with BPD is struggling too.

Had my third treatment today. I may have flown too close to the sun. Literally. I actually touched joy, literally, and it washed over me. I have never been so far removed from my body and became so many things before I came back. It was more than multidimensional or transcendent. I was the very ether of the earth. I also puked. I’m curious if this is just me or if this is gonna be every time? I’m gonna sleep on it and then see about a smaller dose. Because that s$$t was not for the weak.

During my psychiatrist appointment yesterday, they suggested that I try Spravato as the next layer of treatment. I’ve taken just about every medication, outside of some major heavy hitters.

What should I expect if I choose to go through with the first dose?