Most people need to take antidepressants for at least 6 to 12 months, but many people will take them for much longer. Don't stop antidepressants suddenly — ask your doctor how to taper (gradually reduce) your dose to minimise withdrawal symptoms.
It's usually recommended that a course of antidepressants continues for at least 6 months after you feel better, to prevent your condition recurring when you stop. Some people with recurrent illness are advised to carry on taking medicine indefinitely.
For people with chronic or severe depression, medication may be needed on a long-term basis. In these cases, antidepressants are often taken indefinitely. That is, in part, because depression is not an illness that can be cured.
Without antidepressants: About 20 to 40 out of 100 people who took a placebo noticed an improvement in their symptoms within six to eight weeks. With antidepressants: About 40 to 60 out of 100 people who took an antidepressant noticed an improvement in their symptoms within six to eight weeks.
How long you will need to take sertraline. Once you feel better you will probably continue to take sertraline for several more months. Most doctors recommend that you take antidepressants for 6 months to a year after you no longer feel depressed. Stopping before that time can make depression come back.
However, research suggests staying on antidepressants for life or even using them long-term, can be harmful to your mind and body. In many instances, extended use can leave you worse off than before. Like all SSRIs, the FDA requires a suicide warning on the package label.
For most people, sertraline is safe to take for a long time. A few people may get sexual side effects, such as problems getting an erection or a lower sex drive. In some cases these can continue even after stopping the medicine. Speak to your doctor if you are worried.
The most effective antidepressant compared to placebo was the tricyclic antidepressant amitriptyline, which increased the chances of treatment response more than two-fold (odds ratio [OR] 2.13, 95% credible interval [CrI] 1.89 to 2.41).
If your depression or anxiety is mild to moderate, and if time and a talking treatment have not helped, and especially if things are getting worse, then you should consider taking an antidepressant.
Guidance from the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence recommends that antidepressants are used as 'maintenance' treatment for up to 2 years to prevent their depression returning (relapse). It also recommends cognitive-behavioural therapy to change habits of thought and behaviour.
The researchers found that, once pre-existing risk factors had been taken into account, long-term antidepressant use was associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease, and an increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease and from any cause.
The main use for antidepressants is treating clinical depression in adults. They're also used for other mental health conditions and treatment of long-term pain. In most cases, adults with moderate to severe depression are given antidepressants as a first form of treatment.
It's best to avoid combining antidepressants and alcohol. It may worsen your symptoms, and it can be dangerous. If you mix antidepressants and alcohol: You may feel more depressed or anxious.
Hardest-to-Stop Antidepressants
Other short-acting medications that affect mainly serotonin include: citalopram) (Celexa) escitalopram (Lexapro) paroxetine (Paxil)
SSRIs are usually the first choice medicine for depression because they generally have fewer side effects than most other types of antidepressant. As well as depression, SSRIs can be used to treat a number of other mental health conditions, including: generalised anxiety disorder (GAD)
Perhaps the most recognizable among them is Prozac (fluoxetine). It's still the best option for many people, but since it was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1987, Prozac has been joined by a variety of other antidepressant medications.
SSRIs are the most widely prescribed antidepressant. They're usually preferred over other antidepressants, as they cause fewer side effects. An overdose is also less likely to be serious. Fluoxetine is probably the best known SSRI (sold under the brand name Prozac).
Bupropion, citalopram, escitalopram, and sertraline were better tolerated than the other antidepressants. Escitalopram and sertraline were found to have the best combination of efficacy and acceptability.
You shouldn't suddenly stop taking SSRIs, even if you feel better. Stopping suddenly can lead to withdrawal symptoms such as: stomach ache. flu-like symptoms.
Tyramine-Rich Food Products:Interaction between sertraline and tyramine-rich foods like cheese, milk, beef, chicken liver, meat extract, avocados, bananas, canned figs, soy beans and excess chocolate can result in a sudden and dangerous increase in blood pressure.
Stopping sertraline abruptly may result in one or more of the following withdrawal symptoms: irritability, nausea, feeling dizzy, vomiting, nightmares, headache, and/or paresthesias (prickling, tingling sensation on the skin).