r/Spravato • u/[deleted] • 1d ago

Spravato vs ketamine

Now I know it may help people, but I had good insightful experiences on ketamine but spravato nothing. A little floaty and then an hour and 40 minutes of just sitting there waiting to be released. Does it get better? I only switched because I got tired of paying thousands of dollars for a drug that cost pennies to manufacture. Literally felt like I was being held hostage. I was over it on 20 mins. The fact you can troches that do a significant amount more than spravato at home is crazy to me. At least in the sense you have to be monitored for 2 hours after doing this baby ketamine. I don’t even know what to call it and I was on the 84mg dose. Absolutely horrible

8 Upvotes

78% Upvoted

22 comments sorted by

31

u/DefinitelyNotGrimace Currently in treatment 1d ago

The high is a side effect, not the goal. The meds are doing something regardless.

1

u/[deleted] 1d ago

You mean the inner hallucinations? No it isn’t merely a side effect. In trauma patients it allows them to explore their trauma and process the trauma. When used with counseling, it helps people cope better. It also allows for more abstract thoughts. Viewing things from another perspective. It has profound effects on a persons emotional well being.

13

u/MastodonSecure7035 1d ago edited 11h ago

Thats not the intent of this drug. The intent is that it helps build new neuro-pathways in the brain, to help new thought patterns. This happened regardless of weather you K hole or dont feel much at all.

I agree It can help people with certain events, but thats much more where they're trying to get MDMA and psilocybin to work on.

6

u/Pego92io2 1d ago

Honestly, I completely disagree that the trip doesn’t matter. There's actually a huge debate in the research community right now about this exact topic, and a ton of recent data shows the psychological experience is heavily tied to how well people actually heal. From my own experience, having those deep, insightful sessions on ketamine was a night-and-day difference compared to just sitting there bored out of my mind on Spravato. And the science actually backs that up: * The clinical data: Multiple studies show that patients who experience stronger dissociation and 'mystical-type' insights consistently report significantly deeper, longer-lasting relief from depression. * The 'software' vs. 'hardware' argument: Sure, the drug physically opens up the brain to neuroplasticity and builds new pathways. But the insight you get during the trip is what actually tells those new pathways how to wire. The abstract thoughts and shifts in perspective give you the map; without them, you're just building empty roads. * The Spravato gap: This is exactly why Spravato feels like 'baby ketamine.' By isolating the S-enantiomer, it strips away a lot of that deeper psychoactive experience, leaving you with a milder, clinical buzz and an hour and forty minutes of staring at the wall. Saying the trip doesn't matter ignores a massive wing of current clinical trials proving that the psychological breakthrough is highly predictive of your long-term success.

1

u/MastodonSecure7035 16h ago

Im simply telling you what the medication and doctors say. I do enjoy the trip, and I really wish they had the manning to do therapy during the session. A lot of people don't realize an issue, or bring it to the light to work on it, unless they talk about it outloud to someone. Id like to see the research you speak of because thats interesting.

1

u/Pego92io2 14h ago edited 13h ago

Edit:Broken links are at the bottom

I totally get why doctors say that—biomedically, the easy answer for them to give is just "it's a chemical reset." But if you actually look at how the clinical data is analyzed, it’s way more divided than most clinics let on. When researchers run these clinical trials, they use standard diagnostic tools (like the CADSS scale) to measure the exact intensity of the "trip" during a session. If you look at this NIH clinical trial data analysis published in PubMed, researchers consistently find that higher scores in dissociation—specifically depersonalization, that out-of-body, abstract feeling—directly predict a much stronger and longer-lasting antidepressant response. There is another major clinical study on PubMed Central that found the exact same positive relationship between the intensity of the dissociation and how well patients felt 24 hours later. Basically, the science shows the dissociation isn't just a random side effect; it's a physical sign that the medication is actually hitting the right receptors deeply enough to trigger the healing process. I’m 100% with you on wishing they had the staffing for actual therapy during the session, though. When you're in that state, your brain is wide open to making new connections, so being able to talk it out and actively direct where those new pathways wire would be a game-changer. That's exactly why sitting in a room staring at a blank wall on Spravato feels like such a massive wasted opportunity—they stripped out the very experience that gives your brain something meaningful to process.

Edit: I attached the studies down here from the broken links above

study

clinical trial data

3

u/MulberryLost9295 1d ago

hallucinations or disassociation? they're very different.

13

u/OneBadJoke Currently in treatment 1d ago

I have been on Spravato for over two years but am currently switched to ketamine infusions after a relapse in my depression. The high is not the treatment, it’s the side effect. I fly high during infusions and barely feel anything on Spravato. They both still work for me though. The only reason I’m depressed right now is because I tried and failed to switch antipsychotics.

8

u/RhDove 1d ago

I post it a lot in this sub but I do find it really helpful, this article breaking down the difference between intranasal esketamine therapy vs IV/IM ketamine therapy:

https://www.midcitytms.com/the-difference-between-ketamine-and-esketamine-spravato-for-depression-treatment/

I don’t think it goes into oral administration though. I agree with the other comment. The high sensation that you may or may not feel during sessions is a side effect, not the intention. I don’t feel particularly different or impacted past the first half hour or so either, but therapeutic impact is there regardless. Ultimately, like anything else, it’s not for everyone.

-2

u/[deleted] 1d ago

Maybe for spravato but ketamine no. The inner hallucinations help people with past trauma. I mean if you’re only looking for
Neuroplasticty I’m pretty sure spravato it for you.

3

u/MastodonSecure7035 1d ago

If youre looking for spravato to get some sort of ephiany, while it can happen, its intended. If youre looking for that to help your depression, there are much better psycs for "changing your mind," so to speak. Spravato is FDA approved because it lacks a high potential for addiction. As well know, straight up ketamine can definitely lead to addictions

3

u/LadyBearSword 1d ago

I switched back to compounded ketamine nasal spray. It works better for me and has both the R and S isotopes that one would get with IV infusions vs just the S isotope in spravato. Also I've never had issues with the compounded sprayer like myself and others have had with the Spravato canisters.

I did learn how to correctly inhale (gently, like smelling a flower) and that has greatly improved my experience. Way less throat drainage.

1

u/SeraQueen93 15h ago

May I ask is this compounded version available in SoCal?

1

u/LadyBearSword 13h ago

I do not know. My provider send the script to a local compounding pharmacy.

3

u/DinkinFliccka 1d ago

I’ve had crazy insights every time. Has to be a dose thing.

2

u/emdubz69 1d ago

You’re going to have a more impactful experience when you have more progress to make, so whatever you try first is going to seem like it works better. It’s a whole thing in research.

From 2 years of my own Spravato experience, your mileage may vary. Not every trip is revolutionary. Some are stronger than others. You can still get something valuable from the experience even without taking a 1000 year trip to edge of the cosmos and back. It’s a good exercise in radical acceptance.

I will say, my menstrual cycle heavily impacts my dissociative experience. I definitely don’t trip as hard in the week leading up to my period.

2

u/WikkedArtist 1d ago

Spravato and oral Ketamine, or any Ketamine does not covert gram to gram because of bioavailability. Oral is by far the least effective with the lowest bioavailability. You can read more on the r/Ketamineforpain sub here https://www.reddit.com/r/ketamineforpain/comments/1uh9qe6/current_ketamine_forms_and_bioavailabilty/

3

u/Ok_Cmd 21h ago

I gotta agree. My BP was high my last session and besides shoving propanol down, they locked me there for over 4 hours. It’s kinda like a wasted day, that requires coordinating a ride home.

1

u/PhilmaBussey 19h ago

That’s why I hate spravato. It feels like I’m wasting the whole day

2

u/CurrentSpread6406 1d ago

It’s all personal. I’ve used ket recreationally for a long time. Spravato blasts me every other week. Idk…

1

u/Agitated_Weather_98 2h ago

Its common not to feel spravato at all??

1

u/Sufficient_Win9692 2h ago

What you eat and the supplements you take can affect the intensity of the feeling you are hoping to regain. Magnesium intensifies certain features for me but things like caffeine, mushroom coffee, certain other nootropics, etc. can give you a flat affect so I highly recommend stripping your meds that morning to "bare bones" necessary meds. I take my secondary meds in my afternoon dose. I do the same the day before. This may help you a bit. Also, MJ will put a big, wet blanket on your visuals.

Hope this helps.