The FDA’s recent approval of Esketamine (Spravato by Janssen Pharmaceuticals) has been met with much excitement (and some controversy) for it’s potential to help people with treatment-resistant depression. Despite it being a potentially life-threatening condition treatment-resistant depression medication options are limited. 12-20% of people diagnosed with major depression don’t respond to conventional antidepressant treatment.
Withdrawal from antidepressants can be uncomfortable if they are not tapered properly. Antidepressant withdrawal symptoms, also called antidepressant discontinuation syndrome, can happen when lowering a dose of the medication or with discontinuation. It is most frequently seen when treatment is abruptly stopped.
Read here to learn all about antidepressant withdrawal:
Discontinuation syndrome can be unpleasant, although in most cases, the symptoms are mild. The symptoms usually last 1-3 weeks and will fade over time without treatment. If an antidepressant is restarted, the withdrawal symptoms will rapidly go away.
Don’t make these 2 common mistakes when deciding if an antidepressant is effective. Many people have inadequate trials on antidepressant medication due to dosing that is too low or taking the medication for too short of a time. Without accurate expectations of treatment, people assume the medicine isn’t effective and discontinue it. So how long does it take for antidepressants to work?
Which antidepressant is right for me? Sometimes we can figure out what is the best antidepressant just by asking the right questions. Before choosing an antidepressant, I think about these 6 questions with my patients. We can frequently narrow down the choices so we know which antidepressant to try first.
If you are considering starting an antidepressant, make sure to read my last post on common side effects of antidepressants, how long the side effects will last, and tips for how to deal with side effects. My next post talks about what to expect for a treatment response from antidepressants (ie the important question of “When will I feel better?”)
It’s important to know what to expect when starting on an antidepressant and to be aware of common side effects of antidepressants. Most commonly, antidepressant side effects happen when a medication is started. With antidepressants side effects are usually manageable and time-limited.
I find when people are aware of potential side effects and how long they may last, they are more tolerant of transitional discomfort while their body gets used to the medicine. If people aren’t aware of the common side effects of antidepressants they may stop the medication assuming they don’t tolerate it.
Are Benzodiazepines a Treatment for Anxiety? A quick fix or a long-term problem? They are frequently used but there are potential side effects of benzodiazepines and, even worse, risk of dangerous benzodiazepine withdrawal. Learn more about when it may be reasonable to use a benzodiazepine for anxiety treatment and what the risks are.
There are several different medications in the benzodiazepine family of medicine. Some common ones are Xanax/alprazolam, Klonopin/clonazepam, Ativan/lorazepam, and Valium/diazepam. Any of one of these can be used as a treatment for anxiety.
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