ketamine, esketamine, Spravato

Does Insurance Cover Esketamine? And, Common Questions About Ketamine and Esketamine (Spravato) Answered

Ketamine and esketamine (Spravato) are becoming a popular topic of discussion among mental health providers and patients suffering from depression, anxiety, and PTSD.

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS): How it works, what to expect, side effects.

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) was developed in 1985, and has been  FDA-approved since 2008 as an alternative treatment for depression. TMS is covered by most health insurance plans for those with treatment resistant depression (TRD) which is defined as a patient who has tried 4 or more antidepressant medications and therapy without relief. It can also help people with symptoms of PTSD, panic attacks, suicidal thoughts, social anxiety disorder, seasonal affective disorder, and other mental illnesses.

Ketamine suite at Advanced Brain Body Clinic a ketamine and tms therapy office in Minneapolis Saint Paul Minnesota

How to Have the Best Ketamine Treatment Experience

In a recent blog, Ketamine Misconceptions: How One Patient’s ‘Weird’ Experience Could Have Been Life-Changing, I address some common misconceptions about ketamine that may be turning people away from this life-saving treatment. In addition to the details shared in this piece, it’s important to know that there is a wide range of patient experiences when ketamine is used in treating psychiatric conditions. This is due to a variety of factors: the treatment setting, the dosage given, how quickly the dosage is given, the patient’s mindset before and during the infusion, the support staff during the treatment process, and more.

Screenshot of preview for New York Times Article: I took Ketamine for My Depression. Things Got Pretty Weird. by Vanessa Barbara.

How ‘Weird’ Ketamine Experience Could Have Been Life-Changing

The New York Times recently printed an opinion piece titled “I took ketamine for depression. Things got pretty weird.” In this piece, writer Vanessa Barbara describes her experience in Juiz de Fora, Brazil using intravenous ketamine treatment for her depression. The essay made me reflect on how ketamine therapy is administered nationwide.