Overview Of Antidepressants

Tapering Off Antidepressants

Patients may want to stop taking their antidepressants for several reasons. It is worth noting that one of the reasons that patients may want to taper off their antidepressants is because they are feeling better. However, patients are often feeling better because their medication is working. In all cases, though, patients must talk to the doctor who prescribed the antidepressant first! They will determine when it is safe and necessary for patients to taper off antidepressants. Most doctors will recommend that patients on antidepressants for a minimum of six months after they start feeling better.

When it is time to taper off this medication, the key is to do so gradually and based on a doctor’s recommendation and instructions. Different antidepressants will require different schedules for tapering off of them. This also applies to different doses of the same medication. Thus, patients should discuss the process in detail with their doctor and regularly check in with them throughout the tapering process.

Reasons For No Improvement

There are quite a few reasons why some patients may not see any improvement when they are taking an antidepressant. One of them is that they are not taking a high enough dose. Another one is that the specific antidepressant they are taking is not working for them and they need a different one. These reasons for no improvement are ones that doctors can fix easily by adjusting the patient’s prescription.

Antidepressants are effective for many patients, though it is worth understanding that some patients may need multiple treatments to see improvement in their symptoms. The most common combination is antidepressants and therapy. In rarer cases, some patients may find that antidepressants are not for them and need a different approach to their treatment that does not include them. Patients should talk to their doctor about these possibilities as well.