Online Ketamine Treatment Available in: AZ, CA, CO, FL, GA, NY, OR, TX, and WA.
Online Ketamine Treatment Available in: AZ, CA, CO, FL, GA, NY, OR, TX, and WA.
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Ketamine Therapy
Depression and some mood disorders can be crippling, and for many patients, conventional antidepressants simply do not work. Two new approaches have become game‑changers in recent years: Spravato (esketamine nasal spray) and ketamine infusion therapy. Both have shown rapid antidepressant effects, but have significant differences in cost, route of administration, duration of effect, and patient experience overall. In this deep dive, we’ll profile Spravato and ketamine infusions side by side on key dimensions, price, dosing protocols, at‑home availability, and therapeutic support to help you determine the best path for your journey to wellness.
Want to see what else you can do? Call Isha Health now to book a consultation and find treatment plans designed specifically for you!
Janssen Pharmaceuticals’ Spravato is FDA‑approved for treatment‑resistant depression and is taken as a supervised nasal spray. The wholesale cost per dose generally falls between $590 and $885, but patients usually pay the retail price plus facility and monitoring fees, adding up to a higher out-of-pocket cost, often between $1,000 and $1,500 per session without insurance help.
Insurance coverage has widely different limits. Spravato is covered by many commercial plans as well as Medicare for patients who have failed on two to four oral antidepressants, but copays, coinsurance, and deductibles can still leave patients paying hundreds of dollars a session. Spravato costs roughly $1,025 for a 56mg dose (two 28mg devices, taken in the first four weeks), and $1,589 for an 84mg dose (three devices, taken every week, every other week, then monthly).
Janssen has the “Spravato with Me” savings program for commercially insured patients, which limits out‑of‑pocket medication costs to $10 per treatment (up to program limits). But that doesn’t include administration fees, which vary by clinic and can cost $200 to $600 per session, depending on how the clinic bills.
Ketamine infusion therapy involves a doctor performing an intravenous (IV) infusion of off‑label generic ketamine. The drug itself is cheap, often under $10 per dose, but the full cost includes clinic fees, nursing time, and monitoring. Average IV ketamine infusion packages cost $400-800/infusion, and most protocols involve 6–8 infusions performed during an induction phase over 2–4 weeks.
Since the Food and Drug Administration has not approved ketamine for depression, infusions typically are paid out of pocket, although some practices offer financing or membership models. Unlike Spravato, no national savings program exists, but generic pricing helps keep the base price lower. Maintenance infusions can be required every 2–4 weeks depending on symptom recurrence.
The rapid onset of ketamine treatment is one of its hallmarks. So that includes people who said they wished that mood improvement happened more quickly.” The happiest patients say they feel better in hours after the initial infusion. The antidepressant effect can be transient, diminishing within 1–2 weeks without retreatment with follow‑up infusions or add‑on therapy.
Spravato’s effects can also come on quickly, often within 24 hours, but clinical trials establish lasting benefit when it’s administered at the recommended induction and maintenance schedule (twice weekly for 4 weeks and then weekly or biweekly). Ketamine infusions may need to be administered more frequently in the beginning, but after stabilization, many clinics taper to once-a-month maintenance infusions.
Interest is increasing in at‑home ketamine treatment, most often administered by sublingual tablets, lozenges, or nasal sprays compounded by pharmacies. Convenient as they are, those options come with risks: inconsistent dosing, no medical supervision, and no guarantee of sterility or correct formulation.
Due to these concerns, most experts recommend administering IV and intranasal routes in the clinic.
Below is a general dosing guideline. Always follow your provider’s individualized protocol.
Administration
Induction Phase
Maintenance Phase
Spravato (esketamine)
Weeks 1–4: 56 mg Day 1; 56 mg or 84 mg twice/week
Weeks 5–8: 56 mg or 84 mg once/week
Week 9+: 56 mg/84 mg weekly or biweekly
Ketamine Infusion (IV)
0.5 mg/kg over 40 min, 2–3×/week for 2–4 weeks
0.5 mg/kg over 40 min, every 2–4 weeks
Ketamine’s therapeutic potential is optimal when paired with psychotherapy, now known to some as ketamine-assisted therapy, or KAT. This model is a fusion of medication‑induced neuroplasticity followed by directed psychotherapeutic processing and repair, promoting more profound, lasting transformation.
Numerous clinics (including Isha Health) coordinate integrated KAT packages of infusions or Spravato sessions and therapy for complete support.
Feature
Spravato
Ketamine Infusion
FDA Approval
Yes (treatment‑resistant depression)
No (off‑label for depression)
Cost per Session
$1,000 – $1,500 (without insurance)
$400 – $800
Insurance Coverage
Often covered after prior failures
Rarely covered (out‑of‑pocket)
Onset of Effect
Within 24 hours
Within hours
Duration of Effect
1 – 2 weeks (with maintenance)
1 – 2 weeks (with maintenance)
Administration
Supervised nasal spray + 2 hr monitoring
IV infusion + vital sign monitoring
At‑Home Options
None
None
Therapy Integration
Optional; often separate billing
Often bundled in KAT packages
In choosing between Spravato and ketamine infusion, consider your financial situation and insurance coverage. Although Spravato is more likely to be covered by insurance, the coverage differs depending on the insurance plan you have. And finally, reflect on your therapeutic goals and risk tolerance, as these should be considered when weighing the FDA approval of Spravato.
If you have strong coverage for Spravato, your out‑of‑pocket is likely to be lower than IV ketamine. (Without insurance, generic ketamine infusions are usually cheaper.)
KAT models may be beneficial if you want integrated therapy.
Off‑label ketamine is potentially subject to inconsistency risks under regulation, while providing some flexibility in the way it is provided. Spravato’s risk evaluation and mitigation strategy program provides standardized dosing and monitoring, which can be too restrictive for some.
Spravato and ketamine infusion therapy are both novel, fast‑acting therapies for people with treatment‑resistant depression. Spravato comes with the reassurance of FDA approval, standardized dosing, and potential insurance coverage, such as oral ketamine. Such approaches integrated with ketamine‑assisted therapy may amplify and extend therapeutic effects over time.
In the end, the “better” choice depends on your finances, insurance benefits, treatment preferences, and access to qualified providers. Through an experienced center such as Isha Health, these options can be coolly navigated and safely administered, monitored comprehensively throughout, and properly supported at every stage.
Are you curious about which treatment is best suited to meet your goals? Contact Isha Health today and start your path to permanent relief.
Spravato is FDA-approved esketamine infused as a nasal spray, and ketamine infusions use off-label IV ketamine, often lower cost, but not regulated by the FDA.
Ketamine infusions tend to be far less expensive, costing $400 to $800 per session, versus Spravato’s cost of $1,000 to $1,500 without insurance.
Both have fast-acting antidepressant effects, but the results vary from person to person; each combined with therapy often enhances the long-term benefits.
This website has been reviewed by Isha Health California, P.C. and should not be used as medical advice in place of a licensed psychiatric clinician.
IN CASE OF EMERGENCY:
If you are in a life-threatening situation, don’t use this site. Call, text, or chat 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255), or use these resources to get immediate help.
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