When you’re experiencing a depressive crisis, or someone you love is in the throes of depression, time is a luxury you don’t have. Esketamine therapy may be the solution. This FDA-approved depression treatment is the only medication that has proven to reduce depression symptoms in as little as 24 hours, compared to weeks when using antidepressants only.
Do Antidepressants Work?
The exact causes of depression are unknown, though a variety of factors may be at play. These include genetics, environmental and psychological stressors, substance abuse, medication side effects, and chemical imbalances in the brain. Most antidepressants work by targeting these imbalances to raise levels of neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine – the higher the level of neurotransmitters, the greater one’s mood is improved.
Unfortunately, as many as one-third of people with major depression or treatment-resistant depression don’t respond to antidepressants. This could be because while medications work over time to increase serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine, they don’t target the glutamate system.
What Is Glutamate?
Glutamate plays a crucial role in mood regulation. It’s an essential amino acid, as well as the brain’s most abundant excitatory neurotransmitter, meaning it stimulates or “excites” nerve cells into continuously sending messages between them. Glutamate is also responsible for the production of Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA), the “calming” neurotransmitter that is vital for proper sleep and anxiety regulation.
Altogether, these functions make glutamate an imperative system to target in depression treatment. That’s where esketamine comes in!
How Is Esketamine Different from Antidepressants?
Like routine antidepressants, esketamine (also known by its brand name SPRAVATO) works to raise levels of serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine. Unlike antidepressants, it also targets glutamate, thereby having a greater impact on more brain cells associated with mood regulation.
Once administered, esketamine binds to N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors, the inhibitory neurons in your brain, and increases the production of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF), a protein that helps neurons form new connections. The result? Enhanced activity in areas of the brain associated with mood, the restoration of normal neuron connections, and a faster, longer-lasting improvement in depressive symptoms.
Best of all, individuals see a more substantial impact on brain cells with a single dose of esketamine compared to antidepressants. 69% of esketamine patients have shown improvement in depression symptoms after just eight treatments.
Why Does Esketamine Work Faster Than Antidepressants?
Esketamine has a significant impact on brain function. By stimulating neural plasticity and BDNF production, esketamine therapy helps reverse neural deficits caused by depression and promotes healthier brain function. This leads to a rapid improvement in depression symptoms and mood functions, whereas traditional medications may take weeks for any noticeable effects to be felt.
For patients who have struggled with depression for months or even years despite other treatment methods, esketamine offers a new, fast-acting path on the road to recovery. To learn more about how esketamine therapy can be a lifeline to those in need, contact Mindful Health Solutions today for a consultation or listen to one patient’s journey in depression relief.
