Learning library · Medication education
AntidepressantsThe big picture
What antidepressants treat, how they gently rebalance brain messengers, the several-week timeline, and why the plan is a partnership with your provider.
What antidepressants are
Antidepressants are medicines most often used to treat depression. Providers also prescribe them for other conditions, such as anxiety, some kinds of pain, and trouble sleeping.
There are several families. Common ones today include SSRIs, SNRIs, and bupropion. Older families, like tricyclics and MAOIs, tend to cause more side effects, but for some people they're the best choice. This video is general education. Your own plan is something you and your provider decide together.
How they work
Nerve cells in the brain pass messages using chemical messengers, such as serotonin and norepinephrine. Antidepressants act on these messengers, and each family does it in its own way.
The chemistry changes within days, but the brain adapts more slowly, over weeks. Scientists are still learning exactly how that adds up to feeling better, which is part of why the benefits take time.
What to expect
Antidepressants usually take four to eight weeks to work. Problems with sleep, appetite, energy, and concentration often improve before mood lifts.
So give a medicine a fair chance before deciding whether it's right for you. Take it as prescribed, and keep track of how you feel. The Daily log in your portal is a good place for that.
Finding the right medicine can take some trial and error. If the first one doesn't help enough, your provider may adjust the dose or suggest a different one. That's a normal part of care, not a failure.
Side effects
Like any medicine, antidepressants can cause side effects, and each family has its own. Many are mild and ease within the first few weeks. Tell your provider about any that bother you, including sexual side effects. There are often good ways to help.
Tell your provider about every medicine, supplement, and herbal product you take. Combining an antidepressant with another medicine that raises serotonin, or with St. John's wort, can cause a rare but serious reaction called serotonin syndrome. Get help right away for agitation, hallucinations, muscle twitching, or a high temperature.
When to call right away
Antidepressants carry a warning that in children, teens, and young adults under twenty-five, they can increase suicidal thoughts or actions, especially in the first few weeks after starting or after a dose change.
At any age, contact your provider right away about new or worsening depression, anxiety, agitation, or thoughts of suicide. If you're in crisis, call or text 988, any time, day or night.
Stopping safely
Don't stop an antidepressant suddenly on your own, even when you feel better. Stopping abruptly can cause withdrawal symptoms. When it's time to stop, your provider will help you lower the dose slowly and safely.
If you're pregnant, planning a pregnancy, or breastfeeding, talk with your provider. There are benefits and risks to weigh together, and stopping on your own isn't the safest path.
Part of a plan
Medicine is one part of treatment. Many people do best with an antidepressant and therapy together, along with sleep, movement, and time with people they trust.
Everything here is general information, not medical advice for you. Talk with your provider before starting, stopping, or changing any medicine.
4 min · captions with the CC button · 7 chapters · animated diagrams