Deciding which depression medication is best for you often comes down to side effects, says Hullett. If you gain weight or have sexual problems on one antidepressant, for example, you may want to switch to one without those side effects, he advises.
Although antidepressants are meant to help you feel better, in some cases an antidepressant may combine with other medications you are taking or foods you are eating and lead to serotonin syndrome , an uncommon condition involving an overabundance of serotonin in the body, the Cleveland Clinic states. Symptoms to watch out for, Lim says, include fever, aches, shakes, sweats, fatigue, irritability, a bad headache , confusion, agitation, restlessness, dizziness, difficulty seeing or walking, muscle twitching, muscle tension, or jaw clenching.
Typically, serotonin syndrome happens within days or weeks of starting an antidepressant or after a dose increase, says Lim. The most common factors that affect your risk of serotonin syndrome, per the Cleveland Clinic, are:. As a result, a medication that once worked well at quelling your sadness, anxiety, and other symptom no longer has that power.
Sometimes, Hullett says, increasing the dose under supervision by your doctor may help. In other cases, trying a different medication or treatment is helpful. Specific warning signs to watch for include feeling agitated or restless, pacing or constant movement, hand wringing, or feeling generally out of control.
Once you begin treatment for the other health condition, your antidepressant may become helpful again. Work pressure? Family issues? Big changes in your daily life, such as a move or a new job? Any type of added stress can alter your brain chemistry enough to counteract the effects of your antidepressant and cause breakthrough symptoms of depression.
If stress is an issue, psychotherapy or counseling can be a useful addition to your depression treatment. Changes in metabolism and body composition in older adults can have an impact on how well medications are absorbed, metabolized, distributed, and removed from the body—which can impact the effectiveness of the medication. For example, as we age, our digestive system becomes slower, causing a possible delay in the action of the medication.
We also experience a decrease in liver function, which can make it harder for the body to break down medications. It's also common for people who are older to take medication for multiple health conditions, which can also impact how an antidepressant works. You and your doctor should weigh the pros and cons of taking antidepressants as you age as well as any adjunct therapies like cognitive behavioral therapy that can help balance any delays or sensitivities to medications.
The possibility of an alternative mental health diagnosis is important to consider because the seeming loss of effectiveness of an antidepressant may actually be due to the cyclic change in mood that's characteristic of bipolar disorder.
If you have any symptoms of mania or hypomania , it's important to talk to your doctor and perhaps undergo testing to see if you may have bipolar disorder rather than major depressive disorder.
If you have bipolar disorder, you may be prescribed a mood stabilizer or antipsychotic medication in addition to your antidepressant. When medication no longer works as well for someone as it did when they first started taking it, that person is said to have developed a tolerance for the drug.
The medical term for decreased effectiveness of the medication is tachyphylaxis, although some people refer to it as "Prozac poop-out. This phenomenon can occur with any selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor SSRI used to treat depression.
While no one knows for sure why these medications lose their effectiveness over time, one theory is that the receptors in the brain become less sensitive to the medication.
If you've built a tolerance to an SSRI, your doctor may discuss making changes to your prescription such as increasing the dose , adding another medication like buspirone , switching you to a different class of antidepressant , adding psychotherapy or counseling to your treatment plan, or making lifestyle changes that may help with depression.
Regularly tracking your symptoms and keeping scheduled appointments with the health professional who prescribed your medication—whether it's your internist, a psychiatrist, or a psychiatric nurse practitioner—can help you quickly find a remedy if your antidepressant stops working for you.
During these visits, be sure to tell your healthcare provider if there's anything happening in your life that could be causing additional stress or health complications, or if another doctor has prescribed a drug for you that might interfere with your antidepressant. Finding out your medication is no longer working can be frustrating, especially since figuring out the right antidepressant likely took some trial and error in the first place. Do your best to stay patient and hopeful.
It is possible to find a solution so you can feel your best again. Everything feels more challenging when you're dealing with depression. Get our free guide when you sign up for our newsletter. Depression: How effective are antidepressants? Depression is a complex mood disorder—one that stems from countless different factors. It's more common than you'd think: Up to 57 percent of patients on antidepressants have their symptoms reemerge, according to a recent Harvard Medical School review.
Yes, even things that seem unrelated to your mental health are related to your mental health. There's also a very real possibly something's gone awry with your antidepressants. Think that's what might be going on with you? Read on to find out what might be causing your meds to come up short, and then be sure to meet with your doctor so she can adjust your treatment plan. Riba says. A number of medical issues—from infections to inflammatory conditions—can affect how you feel and how well your antidepressants work, Dr.
Hedaya says. Katz G. Israel Journal of Psychiatry and Related Sciences. El-Mallakh RS, et al. Tardive dysphoria: The role of long term antidepressant use in inducing chronic depression. Medical Hypothesis. Thase M, et al. Unipolar treatment resistant depression in adults: Epidemiology, risk factors, assessment, and prognosis.
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