ANTIDEPRESSANTS-HOW LONG BEFORE THEY KICK IN?

[HisOwn]

Hi all..Im just wondering if I can ask advice about antidepressants here please?

I have just restarted on antidepressants after being off them for a long time so can't remember now from years ago how long it takes before kicking in..

I had to restart them because just was not even getting out of bed each day except to shower and eat so life wasn't happening.

I was made aware that they can sometimes make you feel worse before getting better which has been the case but hoping it won't be too long before I start to feel a bit better. I am on day 6 at moment and had 1 reasonable day yesterday but back to feeling yukky today so not sure if that is just medication or not.

Anyway looking for support advice while I try to get back on my feet as I live alone with a daughter who has a disability and have lost connection with many of my friends because of the depression and didn't want to burden them with these sorts of issues. 

Many thanks 🤗

[Not_Batman]

Hello HisOwn.

Good question.

There are some things to remember with antidepressants (AD). AD medications work differently for each person. One AD may work better than another. 

The rule of thumb is usually 6-8 weeks before the effects are noticeable, but some people find they work quicker, and some find they take longer to work. That is why it is a good idea to be in regular contact with your doctor, so they can see the effect and adjust the type of AD and the dose.

AD’s are only part of the journey to getting better. They don't work instantly like they show in the movies, you have to be patient. AD’s help you address the physical symptoms, but psychotherapy helps to address the underlying psychological aspect.

i hope that helps, and you are feeling better really soon.

Not_Batman

[blondguy]

Hey HisOwn and thankyou for being a part of the Beyond Blue family! 

You have raised a good point re antidepressants. I have been on SSRI'S for 25 years and they have worked well with my depression/ anxiety attacks. There really arent any rules regarding the 'kick in period' For example I was expecting a 14 day time frame for my SSRI's to have an effect on my depression/anxiety yet they worked within 3-4 days

Avoiding any high expectations may be a good move as the kick in period varies from person to person 

Can I ask if you have a GP/Counsellor that you have access to?

we are listening 🙂

my kind thoughts

Paul

[HisOwn]

Not Batman thanks for that..yes I thought it might be couple of months..so early days yet I guess.

Yes have got some cognitive therapy and strategies happening too and it seems to be helping too.

Many thanks 🤗

[geoff]

Hello HisOwn, as Paul says there are no general rules when taking AD's, some people can benefit from them straight away, while others, they either don't work or have too many side-effects and need to change, so the only person who knows, is you yourself.

Psych's say the general rule is that it takes about 6 weeks, but everyone is different.

They may make you feel worse to begin with, only because you've just started taking medication to try and stabilise your thinking, whereas if we take a headache tablet we don't even think about any effects.

Your friends might not even know and just because something happened to them, doesn't mean the same will for you, our body is not the same.

Good luck.

Geoff.

Life Member.

[HisOwn]

Hi Paul thanks for that. Yes I have a pyschologist but only see her once a month as I live in a regional town and gets booked up..GPs are same here and the one I see is always busy and stressed so dont always feel comfortable with him but Ive just found another nice lady doctor who I am just starting to get to know but again she is hard to get an appointment with because so booked up. That is why I have also joined here too.

[HisOwn]

Oh ok thanks very much Geoff..yes everyone's brain metabolism would be quite different..so I need to just be patient I guess 😇

[HisOwn]

Just updating to say that it has been just over 3 weeks now and I have improved significantly..not 100% back to normal yet but I am relieved that I can function on a basic level now..I did also push myself quite a bit to get back into a routine and that was really hard at first because all I wanted to really do was stay in bed and shut the world out..but that was actually making the depression way worse so even though it was so hard to do Im glad I did push myself because it has got a bit easier each day..the trick is to get up before I think about staying in bed..

I set myself tiny goals like open curtains and put kettle on and just increased the chores bit by bit..