Signs Your Antidepressant Isn't Working

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsReasons Why Your Antidepressant May Not WorkSigns Your Antidepressant Isn’t WorkingWhat to Do If Your Antidepressant Isn’t Working

Table of ContentsView All

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Table of Contents

Reasons Why Your Antidepressant May Not Work

Signs Your Antidepressant Isn’t Working

What to Do If Your Antidepressant Isn’t Working

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Antidepressantsare a type of medication prescribed to treat depression, as well as certain other health issues such as anxiety, insomnia, and chronic pain.

If you’re taking a specific antidepressant medication, you may feel that it’s not quite working for you. This can happen regardless of whether you’ve just started taking the medication a few weeks or months ago, or whether you’ve been taking the medicine for longer and it has worked for you in the past.

In fact, a 2016 study notes that up to two-thirds of people who have depression don’t respond to the first antidepressant drug they are prescribed, and need to change their medication before they see results.

Furthermore, approximately one-third of people with depression who have been taking a particular antidepressant medication for a long period of time may start to experience symptoms again, either because the medication stops working for them or because they have a new episode of depression that’s not responding to the medication.This antidepressant tolerance is known astachyphylaxis.

This article explores some signs that can indicate your antidepressant isn’t working, reasons why this can happen, and what steps you can take if this happens to you.

These are some of the reasons why your antidepressant medication may not work, according toJeffrey Zabinski, MD, a psychiatrist at Columbia University Medical Center:

Is There a Depression Blood Test?

These are some of the signs that your antidepressant may not be working, says Dr. Zabinski:

Jeffrey Zabinski, MDOther people sometimes notice changes in some types of symptoms before you notice them, so inputs from a close friend or family member can be helpful.

Jeffrey Zabinski, MD

Other people sometimes notice changes in some types of symptoms before you notice them, so inputs from a close friend or family member can be helpful.

Below, Dr. Zabinski suggests some steps you can take if you feel yourantidepressant medication isn’t working.

Take Your Medication Regularly

One of the most important things to do is also one of the easiest. Since it is easy to forget to take medications every day, having a pillbox and taking your antidepressant at the same time every day can help you get into a good routine.

It may even be helpful to take your medication at a time that you do another daily task, such as brushing your teeth.

Contact Your Healthcare Provider

Call yourpsychiatristor schedule a follow-up appointment. Report your symptoms and any side effects to them. There are standard symptom scales that your doctor may use, in addition to your description of symptoms, to monitor how things have changed over time.

If you have been taking an antidepressant every day for more than a month and have increased the dose with guidance from your psychiatrist, but your symptoms have not changed or have gotten worse, your antidepressant may not be working.

“Your psychiatrist will guide you if more time, a higher dose, a change inmedication, or an additional medication may be needed. Make sure to ask them how long it can take for the medication to work,” says Dr. Zabinski.

Maintain a Healthy Routine

Developing a schedule can be hard since decreased motivation and low energy are symptoms of depression, but even gradual changes and improvements in sleep,nutrition, hydration, and exercise can help.

A Word From Verywell

There are several reasons why your antidepressant medication may stop working. If you’re experiencingsymptomsor side effects, it’s important to stay in touch with your healthcare provider and work with them to adjust your medication accordingly.

Depression Recovery: How to Know You’re Making Progress

9 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Library of Medicine.Antidepressants.National Health Service.Antidepressants.University of Michigan.Antidepressant withdrawal.Keks N, Hope J, Keogh S.Switching and stopping antidepressants.Aust Prescr.2016;39(3):76-83. doi:10.18773/austprescr.2016.039Johns Hopkins Medicine.Why aren’t my antidepressants working?Targum SD.Identification and treatment of antidepressant tachyphylaxis.Innov Clin Neurosci. 2014;11(3-4):24-28.American Academy of Family Physicians.How to safely take antidepressants.National Library of Medicine.Escitalopram.Maurer DM, Raymond TJ, Davis BN.Depression: screening and diagnosis.AFP. 2018;98(8):508-515.

9 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Library of Medicine.Antidepressants.National Health Service.Antidepressants.University of Michigan.Antidepressant withdrawal.Keks N, Hope J, Keogh S.Switching and stopping antidepressants.Aust Prescr.2016;39(3):76-83. doi:10.18773/austprescr.2016.039Johns Hopkins Medicine.Why aren’t my antidepressants working?Targum SD.Identification and treatment of antidepressant tachyphylaxis.Innov Clin Neurosci. 2014;11(3-4):24-28.American Academy of Family Physicians.How to safely take antidepressants.National Library of Medicine.Escitalopram.Maurer DM, Raymond TJ, Davis BN.Depression: screening and diagnosis.AFP. 2018;98(8):508-515.

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

National Library of Medicine.Antidepressants.National Health Service.Antidepressants.University of Michigan.Antidepressant withdrawal.Keks N, Hope J, Keogh S.Switching and stopping antidepressants.Aust Prescr.2016;39(3):76-83. doi:10.18773/austprescr.2016.039Johns Hopkins Medicine.Why aren’t my antidepressants working?Targum SD.Identification and treatment of antidepressant tachyphylaxis.Innov Clin Neurosci. 2014;11(3-4):24-28.American Academy of Family Physicians.How to safely take antidepressants.National Library of Medicine.Escitalopram.Maurer DM, Raymond TJ, Davis BN.Depression: screening and diagnosis.AFP. 2018;98(8):508-515.

National Library of Medicine.Antidepressants.

National Health Service.Antidepressants.

University of Michigan.Antidepressant withdrawal.

Keks N, Hope J, Keogh S.Switching and stopping antidepressants.Aust Prescr.2016;39(3):76-83. doi:10.18773/austprescr.2016.039

Johns Hopkins Medicine.Why aren’t my antidepressants working?

Targum SD.Identification and treatment of antidepressant tachyphylaxis.Innov Clin Neurosci. 2014;11(3-4):24-28.

American Academy of Family Physicians.How to safely take antidepressants.

National Library of Medicine.Escitalopram.

Maurer DM, Raymond TJ, Davis BN.Depression: screening and diagnosis.AFP. 2018;98(8):508-515.

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