Should I stop taking my depression medicine?
Introduction
This information will help you understand your choices, whether you share in the decision-making process or rely on your doctor's recommendation.
Key points in making your decision
Consider the following when making your decision:
- When you take an antidepressant, it may be 1 to 3 weeks before you start to feel better.
- Most side effects of antidepressants are more bothersome than serious. They can often be managed.
- If you feel you cannot afford the medicine, your doctor may be able to prescribe one that costs less.
- You cannot become addicted to antidepressants.
- At least half of people with depression have a relapse. Taking your medicine for at least 6 months after you feel better can help keep you from getting depressed again. If this is not the first time you have been depressed, your doctor may want you to take these medicines even longer.
- If you plan to stop taking your medicine, ask your doctor if you need to do it gradually. Suddenly quitting antidepressants can cause side effects. These side effects vary depending on which medicine you are taking and your dosage. Common symptoms include dizziness, nausea, anxiety, fatigue, headache, and insomnia. Other, more serious withdrawal symptoms may include suicidal thoughts, aggression, and hallucinations.
- Seeing a counsellor works well to help people with depression feel better.
- Depression is nothing to be embarrassed about. It is a medical condition, not a character flaw.
Medical Information
How do antidepressants work?
Antidepressants help restore the normal balance of brain chemicals. When these brain chemicals are in proper balance, your depression gets better.
You may start to feel better within 1 to 3 weeks of taking antidepressant medicine. But it can take as many as 6 to 8 weeks to see more improvement. If you have questions or concerns about your medicines, or if you do not notice any improvement by 3 weeks, talk to your doctor.
There are many medicines for depression. If the first one you try doesn't work, a different one usually will. You may need to try several different ones before you find the one that works best for you.
If the side effects bother you, talk to your doctor. There are many things you can do to reduce side effects.
At least half of those who have depression once will get it again (relapse).Taking your medicines even after you feel better can help keep you from getting depressed again.
People who get depression a second time usually need to take medicine for 1 or 2 years. People who get depression a third time usually need to take medicine for many years.
How does therapy work?
Seeing a counsellor works well to help people with depression feel better. Therapy may also help stop your depression from coming back after you have stopped taking your medicine.1
The types of counselling most often used for treatment of depression include:
- Cognitive-behavioural therapy, a type of counselling that teaches you how to become healthier by changing some of your thought and behaviour patterns. This type of therapy can be provided individually or in a group setting.
- Interpersonal therapy, which focuses on social and personal relationships and related problems.
- Problem-solving therapy, which focuses on the problems you are currently facing and on helping you find solutions.
- Family therapy, a type of counselling involving the entire family.
What are the benefits of stopping your antidepressants?
- No more side effects
- If your medicine isn't covered by your provincial health plan or private insurance, or if you don't have private insurance, you will no longer have to deal with that expense.
- You won't have to worry about avoiding certain other medicines because of possible drug interaction.
What are the risks of stopping your antidepressants?
- Your depression may return. At least half of people with depression have a relapse. But people who keep taking their medicine are less likely to have a relapse.
- If you don't taper off under your doctor's supervision, you could suffer withdrawal symptoms.
If you need more information, see the topic Depression.
Your Information
Your choices are:
- Stop taking your depression medicine.
- Keep taking it.
The decision whether to stop taking your depression medicine takes into account your personal feelings and the medical facts.
Deciding about depression medicine Reasons to stop taking your depression medicine
Reasons to keep taking your medicine
- You have been taking antidepressants for at least 7 months, and you feel better.
- The side effects make you feel worse than your depression did.
- You do not want to keep taking medicine if you don't need it.
- You are going to counselling and feel like that is enough.
Are there other reasons you might want to stop taking your depression medicine?
- You still feel depressed.
- The side effects do not bother you.
- The idea of taking medicine for a long time does not bother you.
- Taking your medicines even after you feel better can help keep you from getting depressed again.
Are there other reasons you might want to keep taking your medicine?
These personal stories may help you make your decision.
Wise Health Decision
Use this worksheet to help you make your decision. After completing it, you should have a better idea of how you feel about taking your depression medicine. Discuss the worksheet with your doctor.
Circle the answer that best applies to you.
My symptoms of depression have gone away. Yes No Unsure The side effects of my medicine do not bother me much. Yes No NA* I have had depression before, and it has come back. Yes No NA Counselling has helped my depression. Yes No Unsure The side effects of the medicine make me feel worse than my depression did. Yes No NA I have talked to my doctor about stopping my medicine. Yes No NA My family and friends are very supportive of my fight against depression. Yes No Unsure I can go back on my medicine if my depression comes back. Yes No Unsure I just am not comfortable taking medicine for my depression. Yes No Unsure *NA=Not applicable
Use the following space to list any other important concerns you have about this decision.
What is your overall impression?
Your answers in the above worksheet are meant to give you a general idea of where you stand on this decision. You may have one overriding reason to stop taking your medicine or to keep taking it.
Check the box below that represents your overall impression about your decision.
Leaning toward stopping my medicine
Leaning toward staying on my medicine
Return to the topic Depression.
| Author: | Jeannette Curtis Douglas Dana Ralph Poore | Last Updated: May 14, 2007 |
| Medical Review: | Martin Gabica, MD - Family Medicine Andrew Swan, MD, CCFP, FCFP - Family Medicine Lisa S. Weinstock, MD - Psychiatry | |
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