Now treating major depressive disorder with FDA-approved nasal spray.
COSTA MESA, Calif., Dec. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- TMS Health and Wellness announced the launch of Spravato® (esketamine) as a supplemental in-clinic treatment approved for patients who have not received sufficient relief from antidepressants or even TMS therapy alone. Dr. Claudia Eppele's team at TMS Health and Wellness now provides the FDA-approved Spravato® as a nasal spray for patients who have tried oral antidepressants without the desired results. Spravato® is often approved for patients who have tried oral depressants for at least six to eight weeks without improvement of symptoms. For patients with continued depression, Spravato® can be an effective add-on treatment.
"We often see patients who have ongoing depression and do not respond well to oral antidepressants alone," says Dr. Claudia Eppele, M.D., founder and Chief Medical Officer at TMS Health and Wellness. "So, we're thrilled to provide Spravato® as a supplemental solution that can work rapidly for those with acute, debilitating depressive symptoms, or symptoms that may result in self-harm."
Eppele's team is now offering the life-changing therapeutic intervention, Spravato®, to clients at her Costa Mesa, California clinic. Spravato® was approved by the FDA in 2019 for use in adult patients with treatment-resistant depression and for the treatment of depressive symptoms in adults who have been diagnosed with major depressive disorder and who also suffer from suicidal thoughts or actions. Spravato® differs mechanistically from more traditional antidepressants. The exact method of action is unknown, but researchers believe Spravato® targets the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor, which plays a role in mood.
While many oral antidepressants can take up to eight to 12 weeks to provide substantial improvements, Spravato® can offer near-immediate relief. Some patients experience improvements in symptoms within a matter of mere hours.
Spravato® is available in a nasal spray and is intended to be taken in conjunction with an oral antidepressant as a supplement to one's current depression treatment. Spravato® is only approved for in-clinic use, so patients cannot take the medication at home. This is because of the risk of side effects and the potential for substance abuse. Spravato® administration is available at healthcare clinics that have been specially certified through a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS), which is a restricted distribution system.
Spravato® is typically administered as a four-month course, with the treatment plan for Spravato® starting with two weekly sessions in the first month. The second month of treatment is one session a week. In the third month, treatment typically drops to just once every one or two weeks. Patients administer the nasal spray themselves under the close supervision of their provider, following a blood pressure evaluation. Patients remain at the clinic under observation so the provider can monitor possible side effects. During the observation period, providers periodically re-check the patient's blood pressure.
Spravato® is the latest non-traditional medical intervention offered by Eppele's team, specializing in its namesake, TMS, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation. Each TMS treatment session includes many magnetic pulses. This treatment is typically prescribed after more standardized treatments, such as medications, or other forms of psychotherapy, have not delivered desirable results. The clinic continues to offer new ways for those who are battling depression, anxiety, addiction, OCD, tinnitus, traumatic brain injuries, chronic pain, or other neurological disorders to minimize their symptoms.
Dr. Epple has 11 years of experience in TMS, qualifying her as one of the first physicians on the west coast to utilize TMS therapy. She has given particular attention to evolving with the advancing technology by acquiring and mastering all of the most recent equipment for delivering the best TMS therapy possible. Experts can attest to the importance of choosing an experienced practitioner when it comes to TMS treatment, as only an advanced doctor can determine which TMS machines are appropriate for each patient within such as nuanced technological realm. To date, Dr. Eppele has successfully treated people dealing with OCD, tinnitus, Traumatic Brain Injury, chronic pain, strokes, migraine headaches, anxiety, and Bipolar Disorder, amongst other conditions. She incorporates hormonal testing and optimization when necessary, which have improved her efficacy rates. Her strategy combines her wealth of experience with compassion and precision care.
TMS Health and Wellness' unique approach to wellness enhances standard care by augmenting TMS and Spravato® therapies with various inner resource tools and natural remedies such as meditation, mindful self-compassion, natural medicine, and homeopathy. This supports the end treatment goal of offering non-drug alternative treatments that actually work. Spravato® is administered by prescription only under the supervision of a doctor while patients remain awake and alert.
Spravato® appointments are available now. For more information, visit the TMS Health and Wellness website.
Dr. Eppele can be made available for select in-person interviews with television news media in the Orange County, CA area and select Zoom interviews with media outlets worldwide to discuss the potential and benefits of Spravato® treatments.
About TMS Health and Wellness: Founded by Harvard-trained doctor, Claudia Eppele M.D., TMS Health and Wellness is one of the nation's premier Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation therapy centers. Practitioners use magnetic systems to impact the brain's mood center and provide results in as little as eight weeks. The clinic specializes in both iTBS and rTMS treatments and all other forms of non-invasive and natural therapies for depression and anxiety, including Spravato®.
Media Contact
Dr. Claudia Eppele, TMS Health and Wellness, 1 (855) 867-5551, [email protected]
SOURCE TMS Health and Wellness
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