How long antidepressants take to work

However, antidepressants are not "happy pills," as they are sometimes called, and they won't make a person immune to emotional discomfort. Because the benefits can take time to appear, it isn't always immediately obvious what is changing. It is common for people with depression to notice improvements in retrospect or for loved ones to see a shift first.

You might, for instance, be surprised to realize that you have gone three days without showing signs of emotional exhaustion, or you may find yourself genuinely laughing at a coworker's joke. It might feel natural to resume an activity that you once enjoyed, such as reading for pleasure.

When antidepressants are working as intended, improvements often do feel natural. Antidepressants don't result in immediate relief of symptoms. Some individuals experience initial improvement in weeks, while others notice smaller, more gradual changes accumulating over the ensuing weeks of treatment. It typically takes weeks or more to see the full effect of medication at any particular dose.

Dose adjustment is often needed, and different doses are needed by different people. Some people improve with a smaller dose, and some need higher doses. Some people see benefits with smaller doses, but if these don't produce the desired effect, it can take time to increase to an adequate amount of the medication.

Because incrementally raising the dose requires additional time, the full benefits of antidepressants may take longer than weeks to become apparent if the dose needs to be increased. Several factors can contribute to how long antidepressants take to work, but the exact ways that antidepressants relieve depression are not yet fully understood. The most commonly used antidepressants increase serotonin signaling in the brain.

Serotonin is a messenger hormone or neurotransmitter that is thought to contribute to positive emotions by supporting communication between the brain and other parts of the nervous system. The increase in signaling happens relatively quickly when a person starts using antidepressants, but depressive symptoms typically aren't alleviated at the same pace.

Other downstream changes occur as a result of the increased serotonin signaling, and these modifications take time to manifest and influence depression symptoms. Which process is the primary source of antidepressant response has yet to be determined, so treating depression with antidepressants isn't as simple as just increasing brain serotonin.

Another factor that may contribute to the time needed for a clinical response is the medicine's therapeutic dose, described above. Because the starting dose of the medication often isn't the therapeutic dose, antidepressant medications are started at smaller amounts to allow the body time to adjust and avoid side effects.

The question of side effects can also be key when choosing which drug to take: Some people might be more keen to avoid digestion problems. Others might prefer to avoid dizziness, decreased sex drive or erection problems.

It only makes sense to use antidepressants if the diagnosis is correct. Specialists believe that some people are prescribed antidepressants unnecessarily. The fact that a lot more people take antidepressants nowadays suggests that this is true. They are sometimes already prescribed for milder symptoms, even though it's not clear whether they help in mild depression.

But it's still important to make sure that severe depression is diagnosed and treated properly. Antidepressants can be helpful here, and for some people may be the only way that they can get back into a daily routine or start going to psychotherapy. IQWiG health information is written with the aim of helping people understand the advantages and disadvantages of the main treatment options and health care services. Because IQWiG is a German institute, some of the information provided here is specific to the German health care system.

The suitability of any of the described options in an individual case can be determined by talking to a doctor. We do not offer individual consultations. Our information is based on the results of good-quality studies. It is written by a team of health care professionals, scientists and editors, and reviewed by external experts.

You can find a detailed description of how our health information is produced and updated in our methods. Turn recording back on. National Center for Biotechnology Information , U. Search term. Depression: How effective are antidepressants? What antidepressants are available? This article is mainly about the most commonly used antidepressants: Tricyclic antidepressants TCAs.

How do antidepressants work? What does the treatment involve? How effectively do antidepressants relieve the symptoms? Studies involving adults with moderate or severe depression have shown the following: Without antidepressants: About 20 to 40 out of people who took a placebo noticed an improvement in their symptoms within six to eight weeks. With antidepressants: About 40 to 60 out of people who took an antidepressant noticed an improvement in their symptoms within six to eight weeks. How well can antidepressants prevent relapses?

Relapse prevention may be a good idea for people who have already had several relapses,. Without preventive treatment: About 50 out of people who took a placebo had a relapse within one to two years. With preventive treatment: About 23 out of people who took an antidepressant had a relapse within one to two years. What are the side effects of antidepressants? Some side effects are more common with particular drugs: SSRIs are more likely than tricyclic antidepressants to cause diarrhea, headaches, sleep problems and nausea.

Compared to SSRIs, tricyclic antidepressants are more likely to cause vision problems, constipation, dizziness, a dry mouth, trembling and difficulty urinating peeing. Severe side effects Antidepressants can cause dizziness and unsteadiness, increasing the risk of falls and bone fractures, especially in older people. What should you consider when deciding whether or not to take antidepressants? Other aspects can also play a role in the decision: Are you going to psychotherapy or are you planning to?

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Create a personalised ads profile. Select personalised ads. Apply market research to generate audience insights. Measure content performance. Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. If you have been prescribed an antidepressant medication to help reduce the symptoms of depression and anxiety , you may be wondering how long it will take for the antidepressant to work. Read ahead to learn more about antidepressants, including how long they may take to work.

As you can tell by the name, antidepressants are used to treat the symptoms of depression. This class of medication has also been found to effectively reduce the symptoms of anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder OCD , social anxiety disorder SAD , and agoraphobia.

Additionally, antidepressants have become the generally used medications to treat panic disorder. There are different types or classes of antidepressants that impact chemical messengers in the brain.

Known as neurotransmitters, these messengers are responsible for a variety of bodily functions and feelings, including sleep and mood regulation, anxiety levels, and motivation. Common classes of antidepressants used to treat anxiety-related disorders include:. Studies have shown that antidepressants are effective in reducing or eliminating panic attacks and improving anticipatory anxiety and symptoms of agoraphobia.

Many people will not see a significant improvement for several weeks. Studies have generally shown that the full benefits of antidepressant therapy may take as long as 8 to 12 weeks. However, this timeline is variable among individuals. Some people may experience increased nervousness or anxiety at the beginning of antidepressant therapy. To reduce this possibility, your doctor may start you at a very low dose that is gradually increased.

This list is only some of the side effects you can face while taking an antidepressant.