How often is Spravato given, and for how long?
Spravato is given twice a week for the first month, once a week in the second month, and then weekly or every other week for as long as it keeps you well. That's eight visits in month one and fewer after, instead of a pill every single day. How long you stay on it is a decision we make with you as you improve.
How often do you take Spravato?
You take Spravato in our office twice a week for the first four weeks, once a week for weeks five to eight, and then once a week or once every two weeks from week nine (Spravato Prescribing Information). Each visit is about two and a half hours, including the two hours you rest after your dose.
| Phase | How often | Visits |
|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1 to 4 | Twice a week | 8 visits |
| Weeks 5 to 8 | Once a week | 4 visits |
| Week 9 onward | Once a week or once every two weeks | 2 to 4 a month, adjusted to how you're doing |
Schedule from the SPRAVATO® (esketamine) Prescribing Information. In practice we look for the least frequent schedule that keeps you well.
How does that compare with a daily antidepressant?
A daily antidepressant asks for 30 doses a month, and its side effects can come with every one of them. Spravato asks for eight visits in the first month and fewer after, and its side effects stay inside the two hours you rest with us.
30 doses
Every day.
Side effectsEvery single day: sedation, dry mouth, sexual side effects, weight gain.
8 visits
Twice a week.
4 visits
Down to once a week.
2–4 visits a month
Down to once a week or every other week. Dashed: weeks you may or may not need.
Side effectsMostly gone by the end of each visit.
How long do you stay on Spravato?
How long you stay on Spravato depends on how you respond and how long you stay well. People who respond usually continue into maintenance, because staying on it protects the progress: in the SUSTAIN-1 trial, people in stable remission who kept taking Spravato had about half the risk of relapse of those who stopped (Daly et al., JAMA Psychiatry, 2019).
Not necessarily.
There's no fixed end date. Some people stay on maintenance for a long time because it keeps them well; others space visits further apart over time. Any decision to stretch out or stop is made with your clinician, based on how you're doing, never on a calendar.
How do we decide when to space out your visits?
We decide when to space out your visits by how you're doing, aiming for the least frequent schedule that keeps you well, which is also what the label asks for (Spravato Prescribing Information).
- End of month oneWe look at how you've responded over the first eight treatments and decide together whether to continue. This is the check-in the label sets at the end of the first four weeks.
- Weeks 5 to 8Visits drop to once a week while the improvement settles in.
- Week 9 onwardIf you're doing well, we move to every other week. If you're still building, we stay weekly a while longer.
- If symptoms creep backWe move visits closer together again. Going back to weekly isn't a setback; it's the plan working as designed.
The dose can change along the way too. Each visit is 56 mg or 84 mg, adjusted to how well it's working and how you feel during sessions. How the Spravato dose is chosen.
Can you fit Spravato around work?
Most people fit Spravato around work by booking evening or Saturday visits. Bridgewater treats until 7 PM Tuesday to Thursday and on Saturdays, Morristown until 7 PM Monday and Thursday plus Saturday mornings, and Hoboken until 7 PM Monday and Wednesday plus Saturday mornings. All four offices and hours.
Who drives you home?
Someone else drives you home after each visit, and you can drive again the next day after a night's sleep. NJ Medicaid patients can get covered rides, and we help set them up. Driving and getting home.
Call us and we'll map out your first month.
Tell us which office and which days suit you, and we'll plan the schedule around your week.
Name, date of birth and insurer. We check your plan and call you back. No commitment.
Check my coverageRegister once, and our team starts your insurance check and reaches out to schedule your evaluation.
Request an evaluationWhat people ask about the Spravato schedule.
How many Spravato treatments are needed?
The first two months are 12 treatments: eight in month one and four in month two. After that it's usually two to four a month for as long as it keeps you well.
How long is each Spravato appointment?
About two and a half hours. The dose takes a few minutes, then you rest for at least two hours while our team monitors you.
What happens if I miss a Spravato treatment?
Call us and we'll reschedule. If you're feeling as well as before, you carry on with the same schedule. If your mood has slipped after missed visits, your clinician may move you back to more frequent visits for a while (Spravato Prescribing Information).
Do I have to keep taking my daily antidepressant?
Not always. Since 2025, Spravato is approved for treatment-resistant depression on its own or alongside an oral antidepressant. Your clinician decides with you which fits, and any change is planned rather than sudden.
Can I come once a week from the start?
The first month is twice a week because that's how the treatment was studied and approved, and it's when the benefit builds. Once you're responding, visits space out.
Can you stop Spravato suddenly?
You can decide to stop at any time, but talk to us first. Stopping early raises the chance of the depression coming back, so we plan any change together.