When first starting antidepressants, you may not feel like yourself. Though your depression symptoms might have improved, feelings of extreme sadness can sometimes be replaced by an emotional numbness in which you are neither able to cry nor enjoy a real belly laugh.
About half of users who take selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) report a sense of emotional blunting, a psychic flatness that limits their emotional range, particularly their ability to experience positive feelings like pleasure and joy.
These drugs — including Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft, Celexa, and Lexapro — alter the way the body handles the “feel-good” brain chemical serotonin — a hormone responsible for regulating mood and happiness. As a result, things that once provoked strong reactions may now leave the same individual unaffected or even apathetic.
It may be hard to believe that antidepressants can cause depression, but it could be true. The very reason you take depression medication can sometimes make symptoms worse. Depression is a mood disorder that can cause feelings of sadness and lack of energy, among other symptoms.
In other words, you should begin sleeping better, eating better, and having more energy. “Then you should start feeling better,” he says. Don't expect to feel sedated, however. Antidepressants are not sedatives or tranquilizers, nor are they “uppers.” And antidepressants are not habit-forming.
SSRIs release two chemicals in the brain that kick in at different times, causing a period of negative effects on mental health, the authors report. The first chemical is serotonin, which is released very soon after an SSRI is taken but might not lessen depressive symptoms until after a couple of weeks.
During the first few weeks' people commonly experience some side effects or feel worse before they begin to feel better. Although the newer Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) usually have fewer or less severe side effects than tricyclic antidepressants, various side effects can occur with them all.
The “blunting of emotions” is frequently mentioned by patients taking SSRIs for long periods who report that, although they feel less emotional pain than before, they also experience a restricted range of other emotions that are a normal part of everyday life (Barnhart et al. 2004, Price et al. 2009).
The most common signs your antidepressant dose is too strong are symptoms of serotonin syndrome. If you become overly elated, tense with your loved ones, or irritated and have mood swings, this indicates that you are taking high antidepressant doses.
Headaches, stomach upsets, numbness, insomnia, wanting to sleep more, feeling detached from reality, loss of concentration or memory problems may be typical symptoms of depression, but were also identified as side effects of the medicines (see 'Coping with antidepressant side effects').
Dextromethorphan; Quinidine oral capsules. Dextromethorphan and quinidine combine to treat uncontrollable and frequent episodes of laughing and/or crying caused by pseudobulbar affect. This medication comes in a capsule form. You take it by mouth with a glass of water as directed.
Emotional blunting can be temporary, lasting from a few minutes to a few hours at a time. It can also occur over the long term, from months to years. It all depends on the underlying cause.
The effects of antidepressants are thought to be related to neurotransmitters or chemical messengers in the brain, such as dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine. As we mentioned, it can take 1 to 2 weeks for these changes to take effect, with a peak around the 6 to 8-week mark.
Antidepressants don't have the euphoric effects other drugs have. In other words, Antidepressants can't get the user high. That doesn't stop some people from trying, though. Some people think since Antidepressants improve mood that high doses must induce euphoria, but that is not how the drugs work.
Most antidepressants take one to two weeks to start working. But you might feel some benefits sooner than this, such as improved sleep. Speak to your doctor if you don't feel any benefit after taking an antidepressant regularly for two to four weeks, or if you feel worse.
Treating Uncontrollable Crying
PBA may be treated with low doses of tricyclic antidepressants such as amitriptyline and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) such as citalopram or fluoxetine.
While antidepressants might negatively impact relationships, they can also greatly benefit them. An overall decrease in depressive symptoms may lead to less strain on the relationship. In turn, each partner may feel increased satisfaction in their daily dynamic. Even emotional blunting can be helpful in some cases.
Research shows that taking antidepressants if you're not depressed can alter brain function and structure, particularly the medication Zoloft.
It's usually recommended that a course of antidepressants continues for at least 6 months after you feel better, to prevent your condition recurring when you stop. Some people with recurrent illness are advised to carry on taking medicine indefinitely.
1 Day – On the first day of taking an antidepressant medication, most people will feel nothing at all. Some will notice side effects like nausea or vomiting that could be mild. 1 Week – One week in, people are more likely to note some other side effects like sleeping problems, diarrhea, dry mouth, and sexual problems.
But for some people, the reduction in intensity can be experienced as a "blunting" or "dulling" of their emotions. "You might not cry at a movie's happy ending or laugh with the same gusto. Or you might feel apathetic and not get the same kick out of doing things you enjoy, like playing golf or painting," Dr.
Some people start to feel better in 1 to 2 weeks. But the truth is, antidepressants work slowly. It can take up to 2 months before they reach their full effect. If you do notice an improvement in your symptoms in those first couple of weeks, this can be a sign that your antidepressant is a good fit for you.
A common side-effect among anti-depressants users is feeling emotionally numb or experiencing emotional blunting. Their hobbies are no longer fun. And their sex life is not as pleasurable as it used to. Researchers estimate that between 40% to 60% of people who take antidepressants experience this side effect.
Clinicians usually recommend that people continue taking antidepressants for about six months after they begin feeling better. Although it is tempting to stop taking the medication as soon as you feel better, abruptly stopping will greatly increase your risk of relapse.