Is it okay to be on antidepressants for years?

Long-term—even indefinite—use of antidepressants may be the best treatment for someone with multiple past episodes of depression, especially if they have a history of suicide attempts or have residual symptoms, like sleep problems, says Dr. Potash.

What happens if you take antidepressants for years?

Those who had used antidepressants for >3 years reported more severe side effects, including “weight gain”, “addiction”, “feeling not like myself ”, “withdrawal symptoms”, and “suicidality”, than those who had been on antidepressants for ≤2 years.

Is it OK to take antidepressants for life?

MYTH: Once on antidepressants, I'll be on them for life. FACT: Not true. A general rule clinicians often use is that a person should be treated with antidepressants at least one-and-a-half times as long as the duration of the depressive episode before they can begin to be weaned off.

How many years can you take antidepressants?

A course of treatment usually lasts for at least 6 months after you start to feel better. Some people with recurrent depression may be advised to take them indefinitely.

Are antidepressants OK long-term?

Antidepressants, specifically SSRIs which are considered the most tolerable and are therefore the most prescribed, are generally safe to take long-term.

How Long Should You Use Antidepressants?

Does your brain go back to normal after antidepressants?

"The fact that antidepressant withdrawal can be so prolonged suggests that the drug has changed the brain and that those changes are taking a very long time to return to normal and it may be the case that sometimes they don't go back to normal."

Do antidepressants damage your brain?

We know that antipsychotics shrink the brain in a dose-dependent manner (4) and benzodiazepines, antidepressants and ADHD drugs also seem to cause permanent brain damage (5).

How do you know when to go off antidepressants?

Clinicians generally recommend staying on the medication for six to nine months before considering going off antidepressants. If you've had three or more recurrences of depression, make that at least two years.

What are the benefits of coming off antidepressants?

Because some medical professionals theorize that antidepressants increase hunger and food cravings by adjusting neurotransmitters, it's possible that stopping antidepressants could make you feel less hungry.

What is the weakest antidepressant?

Those that made the least-effective list of antidepressant drugs sold in the United States included: Luvox (fluvoxamine) Oleptro (trazodone) Prozac (fluoxetine)

Is it hard to get off antidepressants?

It can be hard to stop taking antidepressants after taking them for a long time. People should seek a doctor's advice and support when planning to stop using these medications. The doctor will help make a plan that may involve reducing the dosage gradually or switching to another drug.

What are the real risks of antidepressants?

Can you become dependent on antidepressants?

Are Antidepressants Addictive? Doctors generally do not consider Antidepressants to be addictive in the traditional sense. But Antidepressants can absolutely can cause physical dependence, as evidenced by the withdrawal symptoms stopping or reducing Antidepressant use can cause.

Do antidepressants heal the brain?

Scientists have long known that SSRIs rapidly increase the available amount of the neurotransmitter serotonin, leading to changes that go well beyond brain chemistry: Research suggests the drugs help reverse the neurological damage associated with depression by boosting the brain's innate ability to repair and remodel ...

Do antidepressants affect intelligence?

Serretti et al. showed that using SSRIs even in healthy individuals leads to cognitive impairment [25]. The memory loss caused by SSRIs has not yet been convincingly explained; however, serotonin appears to play an important role in learning and memory [26].

Are antidepressants worth it?

In other words, antidepressants improved symptoms in about an extra 20 out of 100 people. Antidepressants can also relieve long-term symptoms of chronic depressive disorder (dysthymia) and chronic depression, and help make them go away completely. An antidepressant can already have an effect within one or two weeks.

How can I get off antidepressants naturally?

Never stop "cold turkey." In many cases, the best way to stop taking most antidepressants is to slowly cut back your dose under the guidance of your doctor. This is called tapering. Tapering helps your brain adjust to the chemical changes and can help prevent discontinuation symptoms.

What happens if you miss a day of antidepressants?

It's important not to miss any of your doses, because this could make your treatment less effective. If you do miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember, unless it's almost time to take your next dose, in which case you should just skip the missed dose. Don't take a double dose to make up for the one you missed.

Can antidepressants make you mean or angry?

SSRIs are the first line of therapy for anxiety and depressive disorders and for many other clinical diagnoses. One of the most disturbing side effects that is observed is a tendency towards aggressiveness among patients receiving medications from this group, mainly during the first month of therapy.

What happens to your brain when you stop taking antidepressants?

Quitting an antidepressant suddenly may cause symptoms within a day or two, such as: Anxiety. Insomnia or vivid dreams. Headaches.

Do antidepressants change your personality?

Fact: When taken correctly, antidepressants will not change your personality. They will help you feel like yourself again and return to your previous level of functioning.

Does antidepressants cause memory loss?

A number of prescription and over-the-counter medications can interfere with or cause loss of memory. Possible culprits include: antidepressants, antihistamines, anti-anxiety medications, muscle relaxants, tranquilizers, sleeping pills, and pain medications given after surgery.

Do antidepressants cause dementia?

Certain antidepressants and bladder medications are linked to increased risk of dementia, according to new University of East Anglia research funded by Alzheimer's Society and published today in the British Medical Journal.

What are the cons of taking antidepressants?

Is it OK to drink coffee while on antidepressants?

Interactions with food and drink

The SSRI, fluvoxamine, is also known to enhance the effects of caffeine, so people who drink large amounts of caffeine may experience unpleasant symptoms such as heart palpitations, feeling sick, restlessness and insomnia.