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The question was submitted 20/10/2007

Subject: Medication

Hi there,
How do I know my antidepressant medication is working? How do I know if its rather a good patch or the tablets? Do I just have to wait until I have a bad patch and say "well these aren't working" then go back to my doctor and try another kind or up the dosage..
Confused...

Answer from DepNet

Antidepressants usually exert their positive effects slowly and gradually, starting around two weeks after commencing them. After the two-week mark, individuals often report a gradual improvement in mood, and also gradual improvement in other symptoms of depression, such as motivation or energy. You will not wake up one day suddenly and feel much better - at least, if you do, it probably won't be the antidepressant that is causing such as sudden improvement.


Also, improvement on antidepressants is not always a perfectly smooth process: expect to feel slightly better some days, and maybe even slip back for a day every so often. These variations are fairly normal, and nothing to be concerned about if they last only a day or two.


You will have bad patches on antidepressants, by the way. They are designed to alleviate the symptoms of the medical condition of depression, and are not designed to prevent all low moods from happening. If something unpleasant or unwanted occurs, you will feel appropriately low in mood, even if the antidepressants are working for you.


That all said, around 30% of individuals do not respond to any given antidepressant medication. If you feel that there has been no improvement in mood by four to six weeks after commencing your antidepressant, you should discuss this with your doctor, with view to either increasing the dose, or changing to an alternative antidepressant medication.

The answer was published on DepNet 23/10/2007