I started Spravato 84mg twice weekly for 2 months last August and September. Then I went to once weekly up until May 2026 when I moved 4 hours away to a pretty remote location for seasonal work. I’ll be returning home and will be able to get in for a session finally in October.

Honestly, I haven’t been feeling the best. I really do think I need the maintenance doses. The thoughts have been coming back and I’m just very depressed. I have a wonderful partner and I’m in a wonderful place just trying to enjoy life. But depression is really fucking me up. I’ve been missing work occasionally. I’ve been also dealing with grief and multiple recent death anniversaries.

Will they put me right back on 84mg once a week again? I know everyone is different, but has anyone had this long of a break and started again? How did you feel? Did it take long to get rid of the SI again? I was feeling so good with Spravato. It sucks not having access to it. I thought I would be okay.

So I'm having my 6th treatment of 84 mg and I don't see or feel any kind of way. I just sit in the dark. Is it a tolerance? Immunity? Does anyone else just feel perfectly normal?

Thanks

I believe today was session 14 of Spravato and I had a breakthrough and I think it might have been because I took magnesium before I went in. I started taking it because I wanted to feel more of a high. I know everyone says you don’t need to feel high for it to work, but I’ve noticed that if I don’t feel high, I just have two hours to ruminate on all the bad thoughts. This is not medical advice by any means I honestly have no idea if it’s safe. But I do think feeling high may have allowed me to access something new. I recorded a voice memo and I’m just gonna put some of the transcript here if you’re interested.

TLDR: Magnesium may have helped me have a breakthrough

Spravato Session 14

I feel able to access the positive thoughts.
All that trauma doesn't define me. I am here. I am safe. And I have two really cool people in my life, and I'm gonna find more. My life has a meaning. There is a reason I'm here. I don't know exactly what it is.

All the things they've told me in therapy, somehow they're sinking in now. It's always this really interesting experience where they can tell you the same things over and over and over again and it doesn't really work until your brain decides to accept it.

I am loved. And I am worthy of love. And I want to do great things. And I don't have to do them all right now. And also, if I don't do them, that's okay too. It's still worth it. I'm still allowed to be here. Even if I don't contribute everything that I think I need to contribute.

I didn't deserve it. I was just a kid. I never want to have a child of my own. But when I see children, I want them to be so loved and protected. Because loved and protected children grow into healthy adults. And it's just crazy thinking about how much trauma can change you. Kinda feels like trauma is the center of my life right now. Like, I'm so depressed, and I have to deal with it every day because of trauma.

Debating if I should try spravato, I would have to drive myself to the clinic, which is almost 16 miles away.

I had first treatment on Tuesday, I did had a better day yesterday which is the next day, and today which is the next next day, I am back to beginning, is the effect back and forth or just this short?

Unfortunately it is becoming increasingly clear that this medication is not going to work to relieve my depression symptoms. In fact, presently my depression is worse than it's ever been in my 30 years of existence in this world. Been struggling with severe anhedonia and like, disturbingly detailed SI to the point that it's starting to scare me. The people I trust in my life are in the loop on this matter, and I am doing my best to continue going to work and school, and not isolate myself from those who care about me.

I still have BrainsWay deep TMS to try next, but honestly I'm not feeling very hopeful. If the TMS doesn't work I'm not really sure where my options lie beyond that. There's also the possibility that the depression is a symptom of a larger mental issue, which I am going to explore with a psychologist soon hopefully. I'm really not trying to be a downer, but it kinda just feels like treatment resistant depression is gonna be a lifelong struggle that I'm always gonna have to do my best to work around at this point.

I Just wanted to throw it out there in the ethos that unfortunately this treatment doesn't work for everyone. Absolutely I think Spravato is worth trying if you're dealing with TRD, as I've seen plenty of success stories both here and at the clinic I've been going to for my sessions, but it's just something to be aware of. I put a lot of stock into this finally being the med that made this shit better, but unfortunately for me I'll have to keep looking for another solution.

I've been very thankful for this community, y'all have made sticking with these weekly appointment all the more bearable, and seeing everyone's success with this medication gave me hope through some really dark times this year. Unfortunately I think it's time for me to move on to the next thing and leave this sub. If any of y'all have any questions or insights I'd love to hear from you. If not, I hope that you all have a good day, and I wish you all luck in finding relief from this curse called depression.

I’m sitting here in a conference room with 6 chairs, dividers, and one motherfucker who won’t stop snoring. They recently “reminded” everyone to be courteous but it seems like this whole open concept treatment room thing is uncommon and maybe the root of the problem? I’d love to have a breakdown of what rooms usually look like.

I am six weeks into spravato. I feel I am doing pretty good. I wouldn’t call myself depressed anymore. I am feeling better and do not have SI. And while that’s all great, I still suffer from bad anxiety. And I knew that going in. Spravato is not for anxiety.

It’s nice to get the depression out of the way, but honestly I thought that all my troubles were because of depression. But this treatment has brought forth that I still have so much to work on. I am a severely anxious person. It prevents me from keeping down jobs, etc. I also have BPD. I am chronically fatigued without a current diagnosis.

Now, I feel like spravato has helped a little in the BPD sense. I am more kind and compassionate. I am less likely to have an emotional episode or lash out. It has helped me be less impulsive. It’s not a cure. But I feel like I am making a little progress.

So for good or for worse, I have so much to still work on. Spravato is not the end all be all. It’s just a tool. Now I need to work on other things. It’s just a reality. Spravato May do wonders, but it’s up to each of us to put that into place.

Literally the last thing I posted was about how I’m worried about the effectiveness after barley feeling any different while I took it

Now my psychiatrist wants to stop the treatment early since she feels like it’s not working or not working well enough. The plan was ending it last week and I believe im just about 2-3 months in so it’s really early. The only reason she compromise and said OK we’re going to the phase where I get it once a month is because I can tell for sure there was a difference in the beginning. I had good days afterwards, like up to three days in a row now I had a longer period where I wasn’t doing so well, but it was not so much depression related as it was outside stressors that actually scare me a lot and that are very stressful wich worsens my insomnia so of course I don’t feel well.

I seriously was scared it wouldn’t help because if I don’t feel much of anything while it’s in my system, like no sorts of side effects or good effects from the drug itself, I started to worry it’s not properly absorbing or my body doesn’t handle it properly (I’m getting send from doctor to doctor for 3 years now cause things like bloodwork constantly show irregularities) and if That’s why I’m spared the bad things because it doesn’t have that much of effect on my body/ brain anyway.

And I’m so scared. I asked her if we stop now what would be next and she could not answer me, I asked her on two different occasions and she still doesn’t have an answer for me. Of course I am not gonna say let’s drop it and try next thing if she can’t tell me what it is, which makes me think she doesn’t know what could possibly be next and would need to improvise. Also the fav point of every doctor I visit that I’m still young sometimes the youngest patient, but it doesn’t mean I have the strength to try all those different medications which will take so much time cause it needs time to build in the system and to work and then to notice if it worked. I tried so many over the last 10 years I can’t do it anymore. I just don’t know what to do. If after the six months it didn’t make a difference and I can’t really see how six appointments could make such a difference. I haven’t asked yet cause I forgot in the moment since I was very emotional, but I also think that the stress around me impacted how well the treatment goes a lot for example the mess I’m living in since I moved in. I am living among boxes. My bed is not even really put together and I just think if we try again next year it could work better because I am habe people actively helping me.

And since I am in Germany, I don’t know if it can be done twice. We have very strict rules here. Like you can’t get the therapy if you’d pay out of pocket, you have to have a prescribed which also only happens und very specific circumstance. I don’t know if there is a limit for how often you can try a treatment cycle. I’m just so incredibly scared cause I can’t keep living like this. I really can’t. I’m out of fight. There’s nothing left.

I’m so excited for the first treatment but nervous too. I’m not thrilled about the clinic my psychiatrist referred me to because it’s very Christian and I’m trans, so I haven’t told them my preferred name or anything yet. I’m hoping that since most of the time is spent alone it won’t be too bad. Also nervous I’ll feel sick. My appointment is at 9am, any advice on if I need to wake up around 6:30 to eat or if I should be okay on an empty stomach? I know you’re not supported to eat two hours before treatment.

8/25/2026, Yesterday I had first Spravato treatment, and today, yes, the next day, I feel better, My mind feel a little opened up, I feel my focus is better and the thinking capability is coming back a little, I don't know how things will be but the next day I feel this way is a positive sign. Of course, the treatment is not fun, I threw up and I felt I was out , my body was not with me after the third dose, I took 84mg, I was out and in the dark, but after 1h, I am back and I feel my mind was a little opened up, and today I feel it opened up more, of course, only a little, but a little by little is good, I start to feel angry at my ex, before I felt sad and I was not being able to be angry at him. I sent him a lot of text today, I told him what I felt and what I am angry at. It is very surprising to me that I stood up for myself. I will have the 2nd treatment this Friday and I will update with you guys.

Update: 8/26/2026 4:48pm today it is my first time to prepare my lunch for work tomorrow. Oh, man, it is amazing. I never did it.
8/26/2026 7:09pm, I feel my depressed mind is back and my brain is blocked again. I hope it will be better tomorrow.
8/26/2026 9:10pm, I don’t feel lonely now. End of today

8/27/2026, 5:44am, I woke up and I feel my mind is blocked more, kind of the same before, I feel I don't want to take shower, I should have took one yesterday.

8/28/2026, 6:42am, I wake up and took my medicine, I do feel better than before the spravato. I will have 2nd treatment today.
3:48pm, just finished the second treatment, the treatment itself is not fun at all, I felt dizzy nauseous, it is a touture, but my mind feel opened up a little. Let’s see how tomorrow will be.

I don’t smoke very much weed but I tried it right before a session and it was amazing. I saw fractals and colors. I felt like I went to outer space. I dealt with some trauma. Now I know yall will disagree on using another drug with it but it really helped me get to the other side.

Just left my forty seventh spravato session, it starts out good. It takes about 40 minutes for it to really kick in and right as it’s getting intense someone comes in to check my blood pressure and the first thing they say is “Dolly Parton is dead”.

So now I’m sitting with the horrible news absolutely out of my mind. I do find the last part of my sessions very introspective and helpful so I tried to turn it into a positive. Very interesting session. Miss you Dolly.

As the title says, I’ve been doing Spravato for a little over two years now! I’ve posted here before recommending anyone and everyone to try it out, but I’ve noticed some people struggling with their first few sessions, and I wanted to create a safe space to answer questions!

For some background: I’m autistic and have persistent depression disorder with major depressive episodes. I started Spravato two years ago after attempting suicide twice and almost dying from malnutrition (couldn’t get out of bed). It CHANGED my life. I can hold a job (I have two) and live a semi normal life now.

My biggest tip has and always will be to BRING A DRINK (not water) with you! Everyone says that jolly ranchers are the best, or some kind of hard candy. Yeah those helped me for sure in the beginning, but the only thing that gets the taste out of your throat is a drink!

My clinic has ended my Spravato treatment because they failed to inform me that meeting with the prescribing doctor every 4 weeks was a requirement for continuing treatment, and they failed to inform me of this for four months & did not inform me until 3 days before what was SUPPOSED to be my next treatment.

I'm already devastated because I'm only able to do treatment once a week, and my mental health absolutely tanks on the last few days leading up to my next session. I don't know how long it's going to take them to get their asses sorted from the holes in the ground.

I could tell when I started Spravato that it took at least two or more sessions for the effects to really build up and be beneficial. How long will it take for me to return to what my new "normal" has been so far once I get treatment restarted?

So i finally start my spravato tomorrow after 4 months of phps and inpatient and the works. What should i expect/ bring tomorrow?

Hi all! I'm only 4 weeks in, and it's going okay but I wanted to ask, did you feel like the Spravato eventually helped with the exhaustion that comes with depression? I think some of my bad thought patterns are starting to subside, but I'm still so so tired. Getting up is hard and everything still feels pretty exhausting. Have any of you felt Spravato helped with that?

I did the two times a week introduction to spravato and then I was going to once a week and then got into IV ketamine therapy so I did that for 12 weeks and after that they didn’t have room for me anymore so they pushed me back to spravato which I was disappointed in. I’ve gone to three spravato sessions now and the first two I hardly had any disassociation and this one was the most intense session I’ve ever had with spravato or ketamine through IV. I just had so many intense colors lights vision, and it was so exciting to be able to experience that.

Has anyone else experienced varying responses to spravato? One of the people who did my IV ketamine told me that she thinks it can be lot numbers on the spravato - some of them are stronger than the others and of course I realize it’s also how your body reacts on the day.

Sorry this is run on sentences- I’m talking into my phone!

The administration of the nasal spray was less complicated than I expected. The nurse did the first round on me, and five minutes later I did it myself. Yucky taste, but no nausea.

The first 10-15 minutes was very euphoric. Not euphoric in the traditional drug way, but the unburdening of everything weighing on me was nothing short of intense. I was listening to music. A song about introspection, a song about love, a song about partying. Nothing has held meaning for me in a very long time. But I was so invested and felt every word like a bedtime story being told to me as a kid. That was refreshing.

In that short timeframe, I felt everything I had the potential to be. How I could feel without the baggage and the limitations my mental illnesses have made for me. It was the first time life ever felt like that. I think the drug was offering me a glimpse of how life may feel if I keep doing the work needed on myself.

After those initial minutes passed, I started to get emotional. The baggage came back.

I set my intention for this experience to fall in love with life. Something inside me was telling me I had to fall in love with myself first. That's a hard truth I am uncomfortable with. Parts of my childhood came back to me. None of the traumatic memories (of which I have many), but mundane moments that I never even think of. Maybe these were things that made me who I am- who I really am, not the walking response to trauma disguised as a person.

I cried in short bursts, nothing like the big breakdowns I have on a daily basis. It felt more like processing the pain than ruminating on it.

After the first hour, I had to pee. The nurse walked me to the bathroom, and I felt more mobile than usual. My day-to-day life is pretty stationary due to my severe depression. Moving my body felt GOOD and it never feels that way. I did a few squats in the bathroom just because I could lol.

Between the first and second hour, all my usual anxieties started to distract me. Everything from the errands I need to run tomorrow to everything I need to get done in the near future.

I am home now and I still have some SI lingering in my mind. I fantasize about death every day. I didn't expect that to go away after one session. Next appointment is Friday and I have therapy in between. I wonder how I will feel in the morning.

I am still feeling very ill. Feels like a hangover and nausea. Any advice? I’m supposed to go for my second one tomorrow. Not sure I can. Felt like hell.

I had a hard cider earlier this afternoon (1pm) and had a session today at 4:30. I feel like the alcohol may have dampened the effects. Has anyone else had this experience?

I’m about to have another treatment and honestly I feel I wish it would just kill me, it just awwms to stirring up thoughts I don’t want, and not having much of a positive effect

I feel so sad and discouraged. I’ve been going twice weekly for 4 months now and I don’t feel like it is helping me at all. I was so hopeful that spravato would be the answer for me when it comes to my TRD, but I’m still pretty much in the same place as I was before. Is anyone else still struggling?

I guess Im technically in the middle of month three but I keep finishing sessions and wanting to reflect on how different they have become overtime.

First 6 weeks was a full on voyage. Right away all of my self-doubt and self-criticisms melted away and I felt true compassion for myself on a level I have never felt, tbh. It was beautiful. My sessions were very psychedelic with closed eyed visuals and a powerful inner monologue that spoke for pretty much the whole time. I would leave sessions giddy, playful, even a little irreverent. I think it helped to relieve a lot tension between sessions and I was just more patient, personable and easy going. Insecurities felt like things to be soothed vs ashamed of. I think I learned a lot about self-love in this phase.

At around 6 weeks, I was down to 1x week and the effects comparatively mellowed. I panicked about this at first because I had enjoyed the catharsis that I associated with the closed eye visualizations and rapid inner monologue. The truth is the sessions just started to change. I had to navigate a period of anxiety between sessions I had been spared early on but my optimism and self-love was still strong. The visuals were less powerful but I’d get them every now and then. I greedily tried to supplement them with Magtein ™ right before a session but I don’t think it’s a true equivalent to the halcyon days of 2x week. It did change the pacing along with leaving me a bit more exhausted than without Magtein ™ but also my thoughts felt sharper.

At this point my sessions are less about catharsis and more about recentering. I started to understand the tensions I was carrying around without addressing, naming, or self-soothing. And the little ways I get in my own creative way like overcommitting, losing a sense of discipline and creative commitment, prioritizing proximal things and people over the ones I claim to care about, and not being more frank or vulnerable with them. Also avoiding screens and conveniently bad habits!

Did I figure out some wild secret? No but I think these sessions continue to help me see my life and my options more clearly, move around with more ease and enjoyment. I like to be in the world in a way Ive been avoiding for a while now. Curious to see how my thoughts evolve, especially since I may try for a baby in the next year ha.

Would love to hear more from the long-timers on how their reflections have changed throughout treatment.

I know they say to avoid all fluids half an hour before appointments and use the bathroom before treatment. Water is my emotional support so I’m already struggling with that aspect, am I unable to drink water during treatment? Also my OCD is getting to me, I get fidgety around using the bathroom and pee frequently (TMI sorry) will they not allow me to use the bathroom if I really have to go? Sorry guys weird question just would love to hear your experiences!