Your Depression Worsens “If your depression symptoms get worse as soon as you start taking an antidepressant, or they get better and then very suddenly get worse, it's a sign that the depression medication isn't working properly, and you should see your healthcare professional right away,” Hullett says.
Starting an antidepressant can't actually make your depression worse. But it can cause side effects that are very similar to depression. Antidepressants can make you feel tired, cause concentration problems, and lead to changes in sleep and appetite.
Some side effects are serious. If you have any of these symptoms, tell your doctor right away: Thoughts about or attempts at suicide. More feelings of depression and anxiety.
One of the widely-reported side effects of SSRIs is 'blunting', where patients report feeling emotionally dull and no longer finding things as pleasurable as they used to. Between 40-60% of patients taking SSRIs are believed to experience this side effect.
Your Mood or Energy Improve Too Much
If you're taking antidepressant medication and you either feel unusually elated, or you become very terse with your loved ones, feel noticeably more irritable, or have an uncharacteristic bout of rage, then it's likely that your antidepressant dose is too high.
In healthy subjects, serotonin appears important for this automatic avoidance. It has long been suggested that over-activity of the serotonin system may relate to mood disorders such as depression and anxiety, as these seem characterized by too much withdrawal and avoidance.
Patients on SSRI antidepressants feel numb because the drug reduces reinforcement sensitivity, that is, our sensitivity to positive feedback, which you can also call rewards or pleasure.
Emotional blunting is also considered a potential side effect of antidepressants, in particular SSRI antidepressants, and has been reported in multiple case reports and clinical studies.
Depersonalization can also be an adverse effect of medication, including anti-anxiety and antidepressant medications. [7] If you believe your depersonalization is caused by an adverse effect of medication, you should discuss this with your doctor and pharmacist.
Nearly half of patients on all types of monoaminergic antidepressants report emotional blunting,6 and it is associated with serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) therapy as follows: among 161 patients, 46% reported a narrowed range of affect, 21% reported an inability to cry, and 19% reported apathy.
Avoid driving or operating machinery. Avoid caffeine, tobacco and alcohol. Drink plenty of fluids. Take your antidepressant at bedtime if your doctor approves.
There's a word of warning after research on monkeys finds that an SSRI antidepressant may alter brain architecture if taken by those who aren't really depressed. There is new reason to be cautious about using popular antidepressants in people who are not really depressed.
SSRIs release two chemicals in the brain that kick in at different times, causing a period of negative effects on mental health, the authors report. The first chemical is serotonin, which is released very soon after an SSRI is taken but might not lessen depressive symptoms until after a couple of weeks.
Why would drugs doctors prescribe to alleviate depression cause it to recur? Dr. Andrews told CBS News that antidepressants of all types interfere with the brain's regulation of two neurotransmitters, serotonin and norepinephrine.
It's common for depression symptoms to return or worsen at some point, despite treatment. Called breakthrough depression, symptoms may be triggered by stress or appear with no apparent cause. The current dose of medication you're taking may not be enough to prevent your symptoms when depression gets worse.
Because SSRIs cause more serotonin to remain in circulation in the brain, the individual experiences less depressive symptoms. In fact, many people report feeling completely back to normal when taking these medications.
Though the symptoms of depression have decreased, there may be a sense that other emotional responses – laughing or crying, for example – are more difficult to experience. This is termed “emotional blunting,” which is the experience of dulled emotional states caused by an antidepressant.
Emotional blunting can be temporary, lasting from a few minutes to a few hours at a time. It can also occur over the long term, from months to years. It all depends on the underlying cause. Experiencing emotional blunting may affect your relationships and how you feel about yourself and the world.
Antidepressant treatment, not depression, leads to reductions in behavioral and neural responses to pain empathy.
Low dopamine levels are linked with certain health conditions like Parkinson's disease or depression. It may also make you more susceptible to taking risks or developing addictions.
Negative experiences can also be due to side effects. Physical effects like dizziness, dry mouth, putting on weight, difficulties concentrating and sleep problems can be very difficult to cope with. But that applies just as much to emotional side effects: Some people miss the variety and intensity of their emotions.
You may be curious about the signs your antidepressant dose is too low or high. Some of the most common signs that your dose is too low include reduced progress in therapy, negative feedback from loved ones, and validation from your provider that your dosage should be increased.