Should i antidepressants

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Caring for an aging parent? Antidepressants can have an effect on many other medicines. He or she can let you know if your regular medicines may cause problems when combined with an antidepressant. In some cases, the use of antidepressants has been linked to an increase in suicidal thoughts and behavior in children, teens, and young adults. The Food and Drug Administration FDA now requires antidepressants to carry a warning about the risk of suicide in children, teens, and young adults 24 years of age or younger.

It means they should be carefully monitored by their doctor and loved ones while taking the antidepressant. Many doctors will want to see a child or teen sometime in the first few weeks after starting an antidepressant to assess any risk for suicide. All antidepressants have some side effects.

However, not all people taking antidepressants have these side effects. Most of the side effects happen in the early weeks of therapy and lessen over time. You may experience the following:. He or she may change your dosage or suggest another medicine to get rid of the side effects.

If you accidentally get pregnant while taking an antidepressant, tell your doctor right away. Your doctor will know if your particular antidepressant is safe to take. Most medicines you take can pass into your breast milk. That means it may be passed on to your baby.

Taking hormones may even help some depressed women feel better. However, if your birth control pills seem to be causing symptoms of depression, discuss it with your doctor.

He or she may suggest you use another method to prevent pregnancy for several months to find out if your birth control pills are causing depression. Antidepressant discontinuation syndrome can occur if you suddenly stop taking your antidepressant medicine.

Antidepressant discontinuation syndrome is not dangerous or life threatening. It usually goes away within 1 week. The symptoms include:. However, you can get symptoms from stopping any antidepressant medicine. If you accidentally missed a dose of your antidepressant medicine, start taking it again as soon as possible.

If you decided to stop taking your antidepressant medicine on your own, talk to your doctor about why you stopped. For example, was the medicine causing an unpleasant side effect? And how did she explain to you what they, how they might help? She just sort of said that, you know, they would calm me down, they would just make me feel a little bit more in control of things, they would reduce my anxiety and my stress levels and to be honest at that point I was just ready for anything that would do that.

Were you worried about how they would make you feel, how did, what did you think about that? So to be honest when I did get my first prescription I read the leaflet inside, front and back, to make sure I knew exactly what could happen to me in the course of taking them. Greg felt scared about taking the tablet for the first time Is that a feeling of failure or something like that?

Andrew was relieved when his doctor diagnosed depression And he gave me a couple of websites to look at to just looking at possible side effects and how it might work and that sort of thing. Hannah spent a week wondering whether to take the Depression: Should I Take an Antidepressant? Get the facts. Your options Take antidepressants to treat depression. Don't take antidepressants. Key points to remember Taking medicine for your depression can help you get your life back to normal, especially if you also get counselling.

But if your symptoms are mild, lifestyle changes and counselling may be all you need. The medicines won't change your personality. Antidepressants don't work right away. And you may need to try a few before you find one that works. Side effects are one reason that people stop taking antidepressants. But talk to your doctor. There are many ways to manage side effects. And lowering the dose or changing medicines may also help. Are you depressed? The symptoms of depression include a loss of interest in daily activities or feeling sad or hopeless and having at least four of the following symptoms: A change in eating patterns that causes either weight gain or weight loss Sleeping too much or not enough Feeling restless and unable to sit still, or feeling that moving takes a great effort Feeling tired all the time Feeling unworthy or guilty without an obvious reason Having problems concentrating, remembering, or making decisions Thinking often about death or suicide.

What are antidepressants? Antidepressants don't change your personality. They help your symptoms. How well do antidepressants work? What side effects can antidepressants cause? Side effects may vary depending on the medicine you take, but common ones include: Nausea. Dry mouth. Loss of appetite. Diarrhea or constipation. Sexual problems loss of desire, erection problems.

Trouble falling asleep, or waking a lot during the night. Weight gain. Feeling nervous or on edge. Feeling drowsy in the daytime. What are other treatments for depression? Counselling Counselling is an important part of the treatment for depression. The types of counselling most often used for treatment of depression include: Cognitive-behavioural therapy , which teaches you how to become healthier by changing certain thought and behaviour patterns. Interpersonal therapy , which focuses on your relationships and the problems they may be causing.

Problem-solving therapy , which focuses on the problems you are facing and on helping you find solutions. Family therapy , which involves the entire family. Lifestyle changes There are also lifestyle changes you may be able to make that may help your depression symptoms: Eat healthy foods. Don't drink alcohol. Get regular exercise. Get a good night's sleep. Get social support from family and friends.

Try to keep a positive attitude—remember that feeling better takes time, and your mood will improve little by little. Other treatment choices Besides counselling and lifestyle changes, there are some other treatments you can try: Alternative treatments such as massage therapy and yoga may help you get better faster and make your life better.

You can try relaxation exercises at home to lower your stress. Complementary therapies are sometimes used for depression. Talk to your doctor before taking any of them, because they can interfere with other medicines.

Electroconvulsive therapy may be used to treat severe depression or depression that hasn't responded well to other treatment. It also may be a treatment choice for someone who cannot live with the side effects of antidepressants. Why might your doctor recommend antidepressants? Your doctor might suggest that you try antidepressants if: You have tried counselling and lifestyle changes, and they haven't worked. Your symptoms are bad enough that they interfere with your daily life.

Compare your options. Compare Option 1 Take antidepressants Don't take antidepressants. Compare Option 2 Take antidepressants Don't take antidepressants.