If your anti-depressants aren’t working, there’s no reason for you to stay on them. You should go ahead and tell your doctor that it’s not doing what it should do to help you. Dealing with antidepressants that don’t work is actually common for most Americans.
According to a recent 3-month study which involved 4,000 patients, at least half didn’t get the relief they needed from their medication. Usually, your doctor would talk about a “response” to medication. This means that they expect an improvement or an overall remission when they give you your antidepressants. If the antidepressant doesn’t work, doctors usually adjust your dose. You shouldn’t try to do this on your own though.
Always wait for the doctor’s go signal before taking more antidepressants than you’re supposed to. There are cases when doctors also prescribe another drug for you to take with your current prescription. Switching to another medicine is also an option if the drug is really rendered useless. The last option they have is for you to attend psychotherapy sessions, if you’re not already on one.
You know it’s time to switch to another antidepressant when you’re having intolerable side effects. Take note of the bad side effects you’re experiencing, your tolerance for these side effects, the period you’ve been taking the medication and the degree of your improvement. You will need to tell your doctors all of these things so s/he can prescribe another treatment for you.
Don’t be afraid of increased dosages or combined therapy if your doctor suggests this (for more information, please do visit a doctor and read up on vxdepresion.com as well). As long as you have a medical expert by your side and you’re not just self medicating, you should be fine.