Posted by Racer on April 6, 2007, at 18:24:29
In reply to antidepressants working for a few days then stop?, posted by shift on April 6, 2007, at 17:01:19
When you say that the meds work after taking them for a few days, do you mean that your response happens a few days after initially starting the medications? If so, that's a placebo response, because there really aren't any anti-depressants which begin working in that time frame.
And when you say that they don't work again, how long have you stayed on the drugs? It usually takes four to six weeks AT A THERAPEUTIC DOSE for antidepressants to work. What a therapeutic dose is will vary a fair amount, with some people requiring a bit more and others a bit less. That's why there are algorithms doctors often use for making antidepressant decisions. The standard is six weeks on a medication, then evaluate. If there's no response whatsoever, change to another drug. If there's any improvement whatsoever, increase the dose or add another medication to augment. That's why it can take so long to find an effective treatment.
It would help a lot to know your exact diagnosis and what medications you've tried so far.
Good luck.
poster:Racer
thread:747625
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20070402/msgs/747645.html