For patients · after your appointment

Thank you for coming in. Here is what happens next.

This is the page we send after a visit, so everything we talked about is in one place: what we do next, what a treatment day looks like, how to get ready for one, and how to reach us.

Call (314) 314-9112Read about the treatment

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The treatment room: comfortable chairs in warm light
Two hours in a comfortable chair. We watch over everything else.
What happens next

Three things, and we do two of them.

1

We check your coverage.

We verify your plan and file the prior authorization. Whatever your plan, you get your exact numbers in writing before your first treatment. No surprise bills. Ever.

2

We call to set your first treatment day.

Once coverage is confirmed, a real person calls you to pick the day and time. Patients are seen at our South County clinic, 3934 Union Rd, St. Louis.

3

You line up a ride.

Patients arrange a ride and do not drive until the next day. Someone you trust drives you home. The FDA label is explicit: no driving until the next day, and only after a restful sleep.

Your treatment days

Every treatment day runs the same way.

Twice a week for the first four weeks, then weekly, then every week or two as maintenance. There is no single stepping-down schedule: your prescriber sets and adjusts the taper around how you respond, and tracks you through it so the depression does not come back as you step down.

1

Check in - 15 minutes

Quick symptom measures and blood pressure. Same questions, so change is visible week to week.

2

The medication - a few minutes

You administer the nasal spray yourself, with the clinician right there. No IVs, no needles.

3

Rest and monitoring - 2 hours

A comfortable chair, dim light if you want it, vitals checked on schedule. Doze, listen to music, or just be.

4

Home - with a ride

Someone you trust drives you home. The FDA label is explicit: no driving until the next day, and only after a restful sleep.

Getting ready for a treatment day

The short list, before every dose.

1
Nothing to eat for 2 hours before your dose, and nothing to drink for 30 minutes before.
This is the label's own instruction. It lowers the chance of nausea during the rest period.
2
Using a nasal steroid or decongestant? Take it at least 1 hour before your dose.
Any other nasal spray, skip on treatment days unless your prescriber says otherwise.
3
Confirm your ride home.
No driving until the next day, after a restful sleep. A rideshare counts, as long as you are not the one driving.
4
Keep taking your oral antidepressant and your other medications as prescribed.
Spravato is FDA-approved for treatment-resistant depression on its own or with an oral antidepressant.
5
Tell us before your dose if anything changed since the last visit.
A new medication, a blood pressure reading that has been running high, pregnancy or plans for it, or anything that worried you.
6
Plan on a little over two hours, and dress to rest.
Headphones and a playlist are welcome. The chair is comfortable; the room can be dim.
A quiet chair by a window with ferns in the light

The food, liquid, nasal spray and driving instructions are the ones in the FDA Medication Guide for Spravato, which you can read in full: Medication Guide and prescribing information (PDF). Your prescriber's instructions come first.

How it may feel

Different for an hour. Then it fades.

Most people describe feeling floaty, dreamlike, or detached for 30 to 60 minutes. It fades before you leave. Some people get nausea or a headache; we manage both.

Every dose is observed by a healthcare provider, with two-hour post-dose monitoring and blood-pressure checks before you leave.

Your PHQ-9 is measured at every visit, so you see the numbers move, not just how you feel.

When to call

We would rather hear from you.

  • If you experience a concerning symptom or side effect during or after treatment, contact us right away at (314) 314-9112. A clinician reviews every report.
  • For a medical emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room first, then tell us.
  • If you're in crisis, call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline), any hour.
  • Need to move a visit? Call us. If you prepay for a visit and cancel with at least 24 hours notice, we refund or rebook, your choice.
Between visits

Keep what is already working.

  • We treat alongside your existing therapy and send progress notes to whoever you choose, with your consent.
  • Keep your therapy appointments and your other prescriptions exactly as they are.
  • Bring your own doctor along: a printable letter for your physician explains the treatment and how we report progress back.
Read more

Everything else, one tap away.

Spravato, start to finish

How the treatment works, who qualifies, what the visits feel like, and the questions people ask most.

Read the Spravato page

Cost and coverage

How MO HealthNet, commercial plans, TRICARE and Medicare tend to handle it, what prior authorization involves, and what you actually pay.

See coverage by plan

The South County clinic

Address, hours and directions to where you are seen in person.

Clinic details and directions

Refunds, complaints and safety

Our terms in plain words: refunds, how complaints are handled, and how to report a side effect, including FDA MedWatch.

Read our terms

From the manufacturer

The patient resources page from Spravato's maker, and the full FDA Medication Guide.

Spravato patient resources

For your doctor

A one-page letter that explains the treatment to your own physician and how we report your progress back.

Print the doctor letter

Questions before your next visit?

Call the clinic. If we miss you, a real person calls you back within one business day.

Call (314) 314-9112Get directions
Clinic hoursMon-Thu 7:00am-6:00pm
Fri 7:00am-2:00pm
Closed Saturday and Sunday
3934 Union Rd, St. Louis, MO 63125

Safety information

From the SPRAVATO Medication Guide, revised 09/2026. These are excerpts, word for word.

What is the most important information I should know about SPRAVATO?

SPRAVATO may cause serious side effects, including:

How can I watch for and try to prevent suicidal thoughts and actions in myself or a family member?

Pay close attention to any changes and tell your healthcare provider right away if you develop any new or sudden changes in mood, behavior, thoughts, or feelings, or if you develop suicidal thoughts or actions. This is very important when SPRAVATO is started or when the dose is changed.

Tell your healthcare provider or get emergency help right away if you or your family member have any of the following symptoms, especially if they are new, worse, or worry you:

If you're in crisis right now, call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline), or go to your nearest emergency room. Brain Recovery Centers is not an emergency service.

Who should not take SPRAVATO?

Do not take SPRAVATO if you:

If you are not sure if you have any of the above conditions, talk to your healthcare provider before taking SPRAVATO.

Before you take SPRAVATO, tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you:

What should I avoid while taking SPRAVATO?

Do not drive, operate machinery, or do activities that require you to be fully alert and coordinated after taking SPRAVATO. Do not take part in these activities until the next day following a restful sleep.

What are the possible side effects of SPRAVATO?

Increased blood pressure. SPRAVATO can cause a temporary increase in your blood pressure that may last for about 4 hours after taking a dose. Your healthcare provider will check your blood pressure before taking SPRAVATO and for at least 2 hours after you take SPRAVATO. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get chest pain, shortness of breath, sudden severe headache, change in vision, or seizures after taking SPRAVATO.

Problems with thinking clearly. Tell your healthcare provider if you have problems thinking or remembering.

Bladder problems. Tell your healthcare provider if you develop trouble urinating, such as a frequent or urgent need to urinate, pain when urinating, or urinating frequently at night.

The most common side effects of SPRAVATO include:

If these common side effects occur, they usually happen right after taking SPRAVATO and go away the same day.

These are not all the possible side effects of SPRAVATO. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Read the full Medication Guide (PDF)

Read the full Medication Guide (PDF)