Two people with severe depression that didn’t respond to other treatments felt better at first after using a nasal spray called esketamine, but then their depression and suicidal thoughts got much worse—until they stopped using the spray, and then they felt better again.
Claim Language
Language Strength
probability
Uses probability language (may, likely, can)
The claim uses phrases like 'was followed by' and 'occurring after', which indicate temporal sequence rather than direct causation. These verbs suggest a pattern or association without asserting certainty, placing the language in the 'probability' category.
Context Details
Domain
medicine
Population
human
Subject
Two individuals with treatment-resistant depression
Action
was followed by
Target
a rapid worsening of depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation after an initial period of improvement, with symptom reversal occurring after discontinuation of the drug
Intervention Details
Gold Standard Evidence Needed
According to GRADE and EBM methodology, here is what ideal scientific evidence would look like to definitively prove or disprove this specific claim, ordered from strongest to weakest evidence.
Evidence from Studies
Supporting (1)
Paradoxical Depressive Response to Intranasal Esketamine in Treatment-Resistant Depression: A Case Series
Two people with severe depression took a nasal spray called esketamine, felt better at first, then got much worse with suicidal thoughts — but when they stopped the spray, they felt better again. This matches exactly what the claim says.