12 Signs Your Antidepressant Isn't Working

Increasing the amounts of specific neurotransmitters in your body and brain, particularly those involved in regulating your mood, thoughts, and feelings, is how antidepressants, drugs used to treat depression, function. Antidepressants are frequently used to treat different mental diseases, even though they are typically used to treat depression.

Reasons my antidepressant isn't working

After Several Months, you're Still Experiencing Depression or Anxiety

Antidepressants typically take a few weeks to start working, and you can notice improvements in your sleep or appetite before your moods change. To achieve better results, your healthcare professional might change the drug you're taking or modify the dosage. Avoid altering your medicine without first consulting your healthcare professional. If you've been on an antidepressant for more than two months and haven't experienced any improvements, it's possible that your medicine isn't suited for you or that you need to change your dosage. Although antidepressants typically work, their effects take time to manifest.

Your other Symptoms get Better, but your Mood Doesn't

After starting an antidepressant, you can occasionally notice that your physical symptoms improve with little to no change in your mood. This frequently occurs in the initial weeks after starting an antidepressant. Many people discover that their appetite, sleep, and focus before their moods and sentiments gradually improve. However, it's advisable to let your doctor know if you've been on an antidepressant for a while and still don't feel any better despite changes in your physical health. Therefore, avoiding freaking out if you find this problem early on in your treatment is advisable.

You Have a Hard Time Falling or Staying Asleep

Antidepressants might not be the best option if they help with your anxiety or depression symptoms but make it harder for you to get to sleep and stay asleep. Other antidepressants may impact how rested you feel after sleeping because they have been related to poorer sleep quality. Some antidepressants may make it more difficult for you to fall asleep, stay asleep, or wake up at a regular time. This is known as the "insomniac" side effect. It's essential to keep in mind that sleep problems are frequently a sign of depression and various anxiety disorders, so this problem isn't always brought on by medicine.

It would Help if you Slept Since you're Tired

If you work in a setting where harm is possible or need to drive after taking your antidepressant, this side effect can be both annoying and a significant safety issue. They discovered eleven antidepressants were linked to drowsiness, which is the sense of being sleepy and ready to fall asleep. Doxepin, trazodone, and mirtazapine have all been mentioned in other papers as antidepressants with potential sleep-inducing properties. Some antidepressants may make it difficult for you to fall or remain asleep, while others may make you sleepy and groggy. After taking your prescription, if you experience exhaustion or are simply unable to concentrate, it may be time to consider switching to a different antidepressant.

You Experience Sexual Side Effects Continuously

They can advise changing to an alternative antidepressant, modifying your dosage, or taking additional medicine to enhance your sexual performance. A weaker-than-normal sex drive or erectile dysfunction (ED), which is sometimes a side effect of antidepressants, are other sexual adverse effects that might occur. Being unable to have sex due to medicine might have a detrimental impact on your health because having sex is an essential aspect of life. Antidepressants vary in their potential for these adverse effects, and certain widely used drugs are more likely to do so than others. You should immediately inform your doctor if you start experiencing sexual side effects after taking an antidepressant.

Your Depressive State Worsens

Feeling anxious or restless, pacing or continual movement, hand wringing, or an overall sense of being out of control are warning signs to watch out for. If your depressive symptoms worsen immediately away after you start taking an antidepressant, or if they improve before abruptly getting worse, this is a sign that the medicine isn't doing its job. You should consult a doctor right once.

Your Moods are Swinging Wildly

You probably need to switch antidepressants if you have incredible elation, become incredibly harsh with your partner, smash furniture, or experience an uncommon episode of road rage. Depression drugs can result in mood fluctuations, particularly in those with a propensity for bipolar disorder Or depression.

Your Depression has Disappeared after taking an Antidepressant for a While

Antidepressants are not the same as taking aspirin for a headache, but they can be quite beneficial. Call your doctor if you think your medication isn't working as well as you'd like it to. Your doctor can help you get back on track to feeling better. It might be appropriate to stop taking an antidepressant if you've been taking it for at least six months and have reached remission. However, it's crucial to get off of depression drugs gradually. As a result, you must gradually lower the amount of your depression medication, usually over a few weeks.

Your Antidepressant isn't as Effective as it once Was

You might want to discuss increasing the dosage with your doctor. If you've been taking 10 milligrams of Prozac, your physician may increase the dose to 20 milligrams. Your body may become tolerant to antidepressants if you use them for an extended period. As a result, even though your medicine may have initially been an effective depression treatment, you may now feel its effectiveness has diminished.

You're Feeling the Adverse Effects

You may wish to switch to an antidepressant without such adverse effects if, for instance, you gain weight or experience sexual issues while taking one. The most important study that examined the efficacy of antidepressants discovered that there aren't any apparent distinctions - they all function very similarly. Therefore, choosing a depression medicine may depend on its adverse effects.

You Missed one or more Doses

Antidepressant drug failure and treatment of depression can both be caused by noncompliance with prescribed antidepressant medication(s).

The Adverse Effects of the Medication are Overwhelming

And regrettably, occasionally, those adverse effects manifest before the positive ones. Stevens warns that side effects are typical, making it crucial for clinicians to educate patients about what to anticipate before beginning a new medicine. Every medication has side effects.