Bellevue Pain and Wellness Now a Certified Spravato REMS Clinic in Seattle

Our Seattle Bellevue office is pleased to announce exciting news! After much time spent in development, we have been officially registered as one of the region's few Spravato treatment centers.

We are now a Spravato REMS Certified Center!

Spravato is a molecule related to ketamine, which has shown promise for decades in treating depression where other pharmacologic means were unable to show meaningful benefit or where adverse effects were not tolerated by the patient. 

Unlike ketamine, Spravato (esketamine) is a purified form of ketamine, with the intended benefit being lessening of adverse effects and strengthening of potency of the beneficial effects.

Spravato, also known as esketamine, is an FDA approved prescription only nasal spray for the treatment of hard to treat depression and major depressive disorder. Spravato has been evaluated for safety and effectiveness by the US Food and Drug administration, in short and long term studies.  Unlike some other depression treatments, patients may rapidly feel benefits from the treatment session. Also, because of its ability to have fast-acting benefits Spravato/esketamine is also FDA approved for those suffering with thoughts of self harm.

At Bellevue Pain and Wellness, Spravato is administered and monitored by our board certified anesthesiologist and pain management specialist Dr. Robert Bowers, in a controlled, safe and comfortable setting.  Dr Bowers has a variety of experience administering Spravato/esketamine and intravenous ketamine. With his background in anesthesiology, he is able to safely monitor patients with any anesthetic including esketamine and ketamine.

Spravato is typically administered in a series of treatment sessions, initially starting twice weekly for the first month, and then decreasing over subsequent months. Eventually there is a baseline treatment frequency that will be established based on a personalized plan.

Patients may notice benefits from the first Spravato treatment sessions, however as sessions continue, patients and their families may notice ongoing and longer lasting improvements in mood, behavior, outlook, and outgoingness. 

Dr Bowers finds it very rewarding to see patients ending their sessions with a happier personality which can get better session after session.

Spravato is safe as a therapy however monitoring is a core component of the REMS program. Typically pre-procedure vital signs will be taken and then checked periodically over the course of a two hour session. Additionally, a patient's mental status is frequently monitored for unpleasant side effects, such as sedation and disassociation, however typically symptoms are mild and resolve shortly, if they even occur.

At the conclusion of each treatment session, a report is generated and then faxed to Spravato REMS program to monitor the treatments for ongoing safety.

While Spravato/esketamine can only be used for treatment resistant depression per the Janssen REMS protocol, intravenous ketamine has been used for years for chronic pain, depression, migraine, bipolar disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and other conditions including but not limited to complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) also known as reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD) or causalgia, and neurologic pain.

By being a certified REMS Clinic, we can offer our patients this exciting new treatment. We work closely with Janssen to get insurance approvals.

Bellevue Pain and Wellness serves the Seattle, Bellevue and surrounding areas including Redmond, Kirkland, Sammamish, Mercer Island, and Overlake. If you or a loved one has depression, please contact us for a consultation or more information.