Some of the signs that your antidepressant dose is too high include: Emotional blunting: This symptom makes it difficult for individuals to feel emotions fully. You may notice or be informed that you don't seem to react to anything, and you might think to yourself, “I'm not sad… but I'm also not happy.”
Common side effects of SSRIs can include: feeling agitated, shaky or anxious. feeling or being sick. indigestion.
Your Mood or Energy Improve Too Much
If you're taking antidepressant medication and you either feel unusually elated, or you become very terse with your loved ones, feel noticeably more irritable, or have an uncharacteristic bout of rage, then it's likely that your antidepressant dose is too high.
Sometimes, antidepressant medications can make a depressive episode even worse. Stevens says that if your depression is getting worse, if you are feeling agitated, “uncomfortable in your own skin,” or unable to get out of bed in the morning, you need to see your physician immediately.
Antidepressants can make you feel tired, cause concentration problems, and lead to changes in sleep and appetite. These side effects can make you feel like your depression is getting worse, instead of getting better.
Common side effects of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin-noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) can include: feeling agitated, shaky or anxious. feeling and being sick. indigestion and stomach aches.
The cytochrome P450 enzyme includes the CYP2D6 enzyme, which processes many antidepressants and antipsychotic medications. By checking your DNA for certain gene variations, CYP450 tests can offer clues about how your body may respond to a particular antidepressant.
Neurotransmitters act throughout the body, and you may experience physical as well as mental effects when you stop taking antidepressants or lower the dose too fast. Common complaints include the following: Digestive. You may have nausea, vomiting, cramps, diarrhea, or loss of appetite.
Signs Your Antidepressant Dose Is Too Low
While you won't notice changes from these medications overnight, you should start to feel some difference in 4 to 6 weeks, with the best results sometimes coming in 8 to 12 weeks. If you don't feel better by 3 months or your symptoms get worse, let your doctor know.
When your prescription feels too strong, you might experience headaches, nausea, and eye strain, among other things. It might not be clear why your prescription feels wrong, but it doesn't take long to notice something's off.
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.
SSRIs are thought to improve mood by boosting serotonin activity in the brain. But serotonin is not always a bed of roses. In the early days of treatment, it can increase levels of fear and anxiety and even suicidal thinking in some younger people. As a result, patients may stop using the treatment after a few weeks.
Serotonin plays several roles in your body, including influencing learning, memory, happiness as well as regulating body temperature, sleep, sexual behavior and hunger. Lack of enough serotonin is thought to play a role in depression, anxiety, mania and other health conditions.
Your Mood Still Hasn't Improved After Several Months
Generally, people see improvement after taking their antidepressants for three months. If you've been on antidepressants for three months and don't see any improvements in your symptoms or mood, then it's possible your antidepressant dose is too low.
Your doctor might recommend stopping your antidepressant if: You're feeling better, and you and the doctor agree that it's time to stop. You have been taking the medicine for at least 6 months.
When prescribing antidepressants, a GP usually selects the lowest possible dose thought necessary to improve your symptoms. This approach is intended to reduce the risk of side effects. If this dose does not work, it can be gradually increased.
SSRIs are usually the first choice medicine for depression because they generally have fewer side effects than most other types of antidepressant.
Emotional blunting—inability to feel positive or negative emotions, detachment, or reduced emotional responsiveness—is common in people with depression. However, there is a paucity of studies comprehensively investigating this symptom and its functional impact.
If you feel like your antidepressant has stopped working, you're not alone. It's common for a medication that once worked wonders to become ineffective, especially if you've been taking it for a long time. Symptoms return for up to 33% of people using antidepressants — it's called breakthrough depression.
Avoid driving or operating machinery. Avoid caffeine, tobacco and alcohol. Drink plenty of fluids. Take your antidepressant at bedtime if your doctor approves.
Emotional blunting is also considered a potential side effect of antidepressants, in particular SSRI antidepressants, and has been reported in multiple case reports and clinical studies.
There is new reason to be cautious about using popular antidepressants in people who are not really depressed. For the first time, research has shown that a widely used antidepressant may cause subtle changes in brain structure and function when taken by those who are not depressed.
Serotonin Syndrome Symptoms
Nervous system symptoms include overactive reflexes and muscle spasms, said Su. Other serotonin syndrome symptoms include high body temperature, sweating, shivering, clumsiness, tremors, and confusion and other mental changes.