Esketamine Vs Traditional Antidepressants: What You Need to Know
Summary: Struggling with depression that won’t lift? You’re not alone. Esketamine offers a fast, effective alternative when traditional antidepressants fall short. With compassionate care and expert guidance at Ohio Psychiatric Services, you can find new hope and healing. You deserve relief—and there is a way forward.
Antidepressants are the most common line of treatment suggested by psychiatrists. However, they are not effective in many cases and have certain disadvantages.
For people who do not respond well to antidepressants, Esketamine is an alternate form of treatment. What is Esketamine treatment? Esketamine vs oral antidepressants–which one is better? Many such questions might bother you if you are planning to undergo Esketamine treatment. Find some of the answers in this blog by Ohio Psychiatric Services & TMS Center, Lancaster and Hillard, Ohio.
Ketamine Nasal Spray: A New Approach
Esketamine is derived from ketamine, a well-known anesthetic used in medical settings for decades. Typical antidepressants take weeks to show results, whereas Esketamine works within a few hours of administration. Delivered as a nasal spray under medical supervision, it enters the bloodstream rapidly and begins to take effect.
Esketamine, or Spravato™, approved in 2019, is the first nasal spray medication that is a treatment for depression. Spravato™ is a controlled substance and can only be administered at an approved medical facility, such as Ohio Psychiatric Services, supervised by a medical provider. Combined with an antidepressant, Spravato™ is FDA-approved to treat depression and has been clinically shown to improve symptoms of depression over just 4 weeks.
The nasal spray form of medicine is convenient and does not cause any digestive trouble, enabling the medicine to act more rapidly and effectively. Patients usually receive it in a clinical setup, where they are monitored for a short time after administration. Patients usually find the treatment process smooth.
Esketamine vs SSRIs
Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) are some of the most commonly prescribed antidepressants. They help increase serotonin levels in the brain—a chemical linked to mood regulation. However, SSRIs can take significant time to show noticeable improvements and may not be effective for many patients.
Esketamine, on the other hand, acts on a completely different brain pathway—the glutamate system. This alternative mechanism is believed to help “reset” abnormal brain activity and form new neural connections, which may explain its rapid and often dramatic effects.
Esketamine vs Oral Antidepressants
Patients need to take traditional oral antidepressants daily, sometimes for years, and often have side effects like weight gain or sexual dysfunction. Esketamine is administered just 1–2 times a week during the initial phase and gradually reduced, under a doctor’s care.
When it comes to the comparison–Esketamine Effectiveness vs Traditional Medicine, Esketamine has shown promising results in clinical studies and real-life treatment.
Is Esketamine Better Than Antidepressants?
Every person’s experience with depression is different, but for those who haven’t found success with traditional antidepressants, Esketamine may truly be better. It offers faster relief, fewer systemic side effects, and a new mechanism of action that gives hope when other medications have fallen short.
Esketamine is prescribed for treatment-resistant depression and must be administered in a certified clinic. Expert mental health relief providers like Ohio Psychiatric Services start with assessing your situation and recommending a course of treatment that can help you regain the best version of your life. Take their free consultation session to know more.