Ketamine is a psychedelic medication that has been used as an FDA-approved anesthetic for over 50 years. It has both dissociative and anesthetic effects. More recently, it has been found to have strong anti-depressant effects when used at very low doses. Ketamine has been studied to effectively treat depression, suicidal thoughts, anxiety, PTSD, OCD, and eating disorders.

Spravato (esketamine) and ketamine are both drugs that are chemically related and belong to the same class of anesthetics called “phencyclidine derivatives.” However, there are some differences between the two.

Spravato (Esketamine) is a nasal spray form of ketamine that has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treatment-resistant depression. It works by acting on the glutamate system in the brain, which is involved in regulating mood, memory, and learning.