You’ve began treating your depression and then find that you’re still wrestling using several negative effects that are annoying or catchy-to-treat symptoms.

One in every 10 people in America is with depressant drugs becoming prescribed to middle aged Americans more than any other medicine, according to a recent National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, on some kind of antidepressant. But every antidepressant- efficacy might be drastically different in you than in somebody else, and taking adult reacts individually to the drug — strength, its side effects.

“Some people are exquisitely sensitive to antidepressant side effects,” says psychiatrist Heidi Combs, MD, assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Washington in Seattle. Others can take just about any medication without running into any issues.

The great news: If you are encountering problems, the majority of these can be easily handled or reversed. Here will be the most common nuisances of antidepressants — and the way to solve them.

Issue Of all antidepressant issues, this could function as the thorniest to untangle: You still feel blue. Actually, there are several possible reasons you are continuing to experience depression symptoms despite taking an antidepressant:

• You got the wrong analysis. “When someone has depression that doesn’t react to treatment, the first thing you do is step back and make sure you’ve the appropriate identification,” says Combs. Your psychiatrist might want to do more tests to make sure some significant clues weren’t missed the first time around.
• Your drug hasn’t kicked in yet. Sometimes it takes time for antidepressants to become effective. Seek advice from your physician in case you should wait somewhat longer, to figure out.
• You’re boozing or using drugs. These materials can interfere with your depression treatment — you will want to stop if you need complete success.
• You are not in therapy. It will be fine if drug could solve all depression problems, but you might also need to talk to a therapist to assist you determine just how to deal with a few of the dilemmas in your life that are legitimately causing you to feel depressed or stressed.
• You’re taking the incorrect medicine. Many people can find help by changing antidepressants or adding another medicine, like a thyroid drug or lithium.

Problem 2: “I am not sad — but I am not happy, either.” Some people who take selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) experience mental blunting — a sense of being depleted of all emotions (including the good ones). Nevertheless, you do not have to lose your capacity to feel joy just to get rid of the pain: Emotional blunting is best resolved adding a second medication by changing to a distinct class of antidepressants, or talking to a therapist, says Combs.

Problem 3: “My antidepressant is making me fat.” As many as 25 percent of individuals taking an antidepressant will see its effect on the scale. While weight gain is a complication of some melancholy medications, it’s not a side effect of all — and most people who gain weight due to their melancholy drugs will only gain five to 10 pounds.

For those who own a history of being overweight, you’re more likely to gain while on an antidepressant — “so pick an antidepressant that is weight neutral,” counsels Combs. She emphasizes becoming advised in diet and exercise, if that’s no option. (An additional incentive? Both fitness and good for you foods have been proven to greatly help ease depression, too).

Problem 4: “Sex tonight? No way!” Many people struggling with depression lose interest in sexual activity — but some antidepressants really ensure it is tough to react sexually. The truth is, about 70 percent of individuals taking certain antidepressants complain of negative sexual unwanted effects. But physicians do not always warn their patients about this effect, says Dr. Combs, and it can be very frustrating.

Many people will willingly take it as a temporary trade off for depression treatment that is successful — but most folks need options. Consider attempting a different dosing schedule changing antidepressants, taking other medicines to improve sexual response, or experimenting with new ways to increase arousal.

Difficulty 5: “I’m up all night.” Sleep problems often go hand in hand with depression. And when you can’t get a good night’s sleep, it can make it even more challenging to treat depression efficiently. “Some antidepressants are identified as activating and some are sedating,” explains Combs. Discovering the correct match for you personally is crucial — a sedating antidepressant could be a great bet for an individual who is having problems with sleep. It’s also very important to take a look at other lifestyle choices that may be affecting your sleep, like your environment, physical activity (or the dearth of it), drinking caffeine late in the day, and booze use.

Issue 6: “I want to cease taking my meds — but I am afraid my depression can come back.” Once you start feeling better, you will probably want to quit taking antidepressants — but, naturally, you could worry your depression symptoms will return or that you’ll experience withdrawal symptoms. Although antidepressants are simply temporary for most of US, you shouldn’t quit taking them (or any prescription medicine) without the guidance of a physician. Usually, the very best approach is to reduce the dosage very slowly — quitting “cold turkey” could lead to unwanted side effects.

Difficulty 7: “I desire to expire.” With depression, there is always a risk of suicidal thoughts. In fact, having them is truly a rare antidepressant side effect — people taking antidepressants to ease depression might be surprised to discover that they’re continuing or even starting to feel suicidal. Call your physician immediately should you start to see worsening depression symptoms offering suicidal thoughts.

Thus don’t ignore it — if you are running into a problem with your antidepressants, there is a likely option. Get to the bottom of it.