How to know if antidepressant is working

Hi Littlesister2012,

Welcome to the depression forum. If you are starting to feel better after three weeks, that is a good sign. It takes most antidepressants six to eight weeks to reach their full potential. So this is good. Try to take life one day at a time. Focus on the positives that you are feeling. You will get there. Please do keep posting. There are many of us who can share what works for them. I take pristiq, abilify and xanax. It took me a long time to find the right medication, but I have been feeling better for a few years now. So I can't complain one bit. Abilify is a mood stabilizer, also used for bipolar. It really helped my moods. I have been doing wonderfully since I started taking it. So after the six to eight weeks, if you aren't feeling better, ask your doc about adding a mood stabilizer, they do help your antidepressants work better.

Keep posting, know that we all care, and have a wonderful day.

Hugs, Karen

Welcome littlesister!

You have found a great place for support and advice.

As Jim and Karen have said, anti-depressants normally take 4-8 weeks to build up in your system and start really working. Alot of us have added another med to boost the effects of meds. I take cymbalta, seroquel and Klonopin and as Kare said, don't get discouraged if the first go0-round doesn't work and you have to change or add a medication. This can take awhile, so hang in there, put on your seatbelt and try to endure the ride!! Keep posting and let us know how things are going and what works for you

Maggie

Hi,Little sister 2012,

Ask your doctor what he/she thinks about a med food called "Deplin". It's a concentrated form of folate which can reach the brain and increase the serotonin activity and transmitters in the brain.

Some depressed people (as many as upwards of 50%) cannot utilize folate from foods they eat, and Deplin does have the ability to cross the blood-brain barrier and has proven to be a very big help to those of us who cannot metabolize folate from the diet.

I mention this because it's effective much more quickly than the anti-depressants and as a food product, it has no detrimental side effects that I have been able to determine.

(Some doctors may want to do genetic testing to determine if you are one of those folks who cannot get folate from foods that can cross the blood-brain barrier. My psychiatrist felt that it was worth a try regardless of what genetic testing might show and did not order testing.) I found it beneficial within three days.

I think Skitt on the cardiovascular forum is one who uses it and considers it to be beneficial.

It's worth a try if you're not responding as quickly as you wish to the anti-depressant. It does not, however, supersede the need for long-term use of anti-depressants, to my knowledge.

We aren't doctors, of course, and can't tell you what to do, but we can relate to you our experiences with medications.

I wish you success in your efforts to get the depression in remission.

It's Genetic

Post Edited (It's Genetic) : 1/3/2012 2:41:35 PM (GMT-7)

Hi, Bayou,

I'm a little late, but Happy New Year to you and your family.

At this time, Deplin is a prescribed food med only. Its usual dosage is 15 mg. once daily. I take 7.5 mg (about $40.00 per month with insurance), and that's very adequate for me. I supplement it with 10 mg. Prozac, but think that I could easily get by without Prozac; am considering asking my psychiatrist how that fits her plans for me.

I would suggest NOT going the genetic testing route; just several days on Deplin will tell you if you are benefitting from it. I think maybe Skitt on the Cardiovascular Forum may be using Deplin, and I think she may be med resistant--I'm thinking that, mind you--not sure.

It's very worth a try. I've never had a medication prove so beneficial for me without the acidic side effects of all prescribed medications.

Take care.

I.G.

Post Edited (It's Genetic) : 1/3/2012 2:30:40 PM (GMT-7)