How long should I be on antidepressants? Most people are advised to keep taking their antidepressant for at least 6 to 12 months after they start to feel better, to reduce the risk of symptoms returning. It's important to discuss with your doctor about the best time to stop an antidepressant.
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.
Guidance from the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence recommends that antidepressants are used as 'maintenance' treatment for up to 2 years to prevent their depression returning (relapse). It also recommends cognitive-behavioural therapy to change habits of thought and behaviour.
If You Do Have to Take Antidepressants Forever, You Will Be OK. Some recent studies suggest long-term antidepressant use may come with side effects previously unknown to scientists. “These risks include an increased risk of gastrointestinal bleeding, especially for SSRI users,” Dr. Hong explained.
You may be tempted to stop taking antidepressants as soon as your symptoms ease, but depression can return if you quit too soon. Clinicians generally recommend staying on the medication for six to nine months before considering going off antidepressants.
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.
This is one of the more common myths associated with the condition. You do not need to take antidepressants forever nor do you need to get a prescription from a counselor or therapist. During your first few sessions, you'll have the chance to talk about your needs and find out whether antidepressants can help.
In fact, many people report feeling completely back to normal when taking these medications. Although SSRIs are similar in nature to one another, their side effects and tolerability can vary from one person to the next. Similarly, the dosage can differ markedly between individuals as well.
Long-term antidepressant use may double the risk of heart disease, finds the most comprehensive epidemiological study to date to investigate the health consequences from using the medication over ten years.
Antidepressants can also relieve long-term symptoms of chronic depressive disorder (dysthymia) and chronic depression, and help make them go away completely. An antidepressant can already have an effect within one or two weeks. But it may take longer for the symptoms to improve.
Exercise. Research suggests that regular exercise may be a more effective treatment for mild depression than antidepressants. Exercise helps boost levels of chemicals called serotonin and dopamine in the brain, which can lift your mood.
From the 14 studies that provided usable data, they calculated that 56% of antidepressant users experienced withdrawal symptoms when they discontinued the medication. Just four studies looked at the question of severity, they found, but of those, 46% of people experienced severe symptoms.
Those who took antidepressants in higher doses for a longer time have more intense symptoms. Withdrawal symptoms typically persist for up to three weeks. The symptoms gradually fade during this time. Most people who quit taking their antidepressants stop having symptoms after three weeks.
During long-term SSRI therapy, the most troubling adverse effects are sexual dysfunction, weight gain, and sleep disturbance.
Generally speaking, SSRIs and SNRIs are well-tolerated by most people. They also have good evidence supporting their long-term safety. Older antidepressants, like TCAs and MAOIs, tend to cause more side effects.
For most people, antidepressants are the main cause of emotional blunting. In most cases, feelings of numbness go away when you stop taking the antidepressant that is causing you to feel this way. If you feel emotionally numb, it's important to tell your doctor.
Safety of daily doses above 20 mg has not been demonstrated. Usual dosage is 10 mg once daily. Depending on individual patient response, the dose may be increased to a maximum of 20 mg daily. Usually 2-4 weeks are necessary to obtain antidepressant response.
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.
Weight gain is a possible side effect of nearly all antidepressants. However, each person responds to antidepressants differently. Some people gain weight when taking a certain antidepressant, while others don't.
It's recommended to keep taking your medication for at least 12 months if you're benefiting from it. This is meant to help prevent symptoms from getting worse again. After 12 months or so, you and your healthcare provider may decide to continue the medication or to gradually stop taking it.
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are the most prescribed type of antidepressant and include: Fluoxetine. Citalopram.