What to do if your antidepressant isn’t working
Antidepressants are one of the most common and effective forms of depression help: about one in eight Americans over the age of twelve reports recent antidepressant use. Unfortunately, up to 60% of those using antidepressants will find that their depression does not completely respond to the medication they try.
Oftentimes, these people are referred to as having “treatment-resistant” depression. Think this might be you? Let’s take a closer look at what treatment-resistant depression is and how, if you think you might have it, you can seek the care you deserve.
Treatment-resistant depression is defined by the Mayo Clinic as a form of depression for which medication does not seem to provide symptom relief (or, if it does, the relief does not last long). For many with treatment-resistant depression, the process of seeking care is a long and tiring game of medication-musical chairs.
Genetic Testing
One way to avoid subjecting yourself to the “guess and check” method of trying antidepressants is by getting a closer look at how your body responds to medication on a molecular level. By better understanding your genetic makeup, you can better understand how your body responds to medication.
Think about it this way: if you knew someone had a bad food allergy, you wouldn’t make them eat a three-course meal of different foods in hopes that they wouldn’t have an allergic reaction. Instead, you might do an allergy test and take a closer look at their genetics to see how their cells react and respond to different food groups. Then, they could better understand which foods nurture and fuel their body. With genetic testing for mental health care, we at Prairie Health are doing something similar.
Your genes can drive up to 50% of your response to medication, so when your medication doesn’t seem to be working, your genes are a good place to start. By having a doctor analyze your genetic makeup, you can receive treatment that’s specifically tailored to you — not treatment based on an educated guess.
Consult your Psychiatrist
If, of course, you don’t like the idea of genetic testing, but are still seeking help for your treatment-resistant medication, there are other options. For starters, you can talk to your psychiatrist about some of the following:
- What life circumstances might be contributing to your depression
- What other physical conditions you might have that could be worsening your depression (these include thyroid disorders, chronic pain, or heart problems)
- If you might have another mental health condition (such as bipolar disorder, which can cause or worsen depression and may require different treatment)
- Whether or not you’re taking your medications as prescribed.
Other Options
If you are looking specifically for a new medication strategy, you can try discussing with your doctor some of the following options:
1. Giving your current medications more time
Antidepressants can take up to eight weeks to become fully effective, and for some people, it can take longer.
2. Increasing your dose or decreasing your dose (if indicated by your doctor)
Both your genetic and phenotypic makeup are huge driving factors in what your starting dosage of an antidepressant should be. Without a tool like genetic testing, it can sometimes be hard to gauge what dosage you should be on. If your medication doesn’t seem to be working, speak with your doctor about changing your dose.
3. Changing antidepressants
You may need to try multiple medications before finding the right one for you.
4. Adding another type of antidepressant
By prescribing multiple antidepressants at once, your doctor might be able to help you affect a wider range of brain chemicals linked to your depression.
5. Adding a medication generally used for another condition
Doctors sometimes prescribe a treatment that is typically used for a different condition than the one you have. This approach is known as augmentation and sometimes helps people with treatment-resistant depression. It can include, but is not limited to, antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, anti-anxiety medications, thyroid hormone, or other drugs.
Whether you choose to speak to your doctor about external factors impacting your treatment, get prescribed a different medication strategy, or opt to take a closer look at how your genes might be impacting your mental health, keep in mind that this is your journey. We are all unique, and so each of our paths to treatment will look different. No matter where your journey to mental health takes you, though, remember that you are not alone, and you will eventually find the help you deserve.
Check out our blog to learn more about mental healthcare. Prairie Health is committed to providing affordable mental healthcare that works, powered by DNA testing and expert support.
