This lets your body clear the old drug out of your system. Antidepressants are a type of medicine used to treat clinical depression. endobj 4 0 obj <> <> endobj �����j���$+-�U�s�D-�hVi�!�[h����4,-�U�L�Ң[���$GC�pQK�i�nQ.J�}��[���Jc�E�Қ�ע]�Eb��-ڕR'9٢]�>-���U�aN6I(�!YQ��4r[���b��z��Ӡ��K�3����Ȍ���xǽ�m� ��3�2$)r��^Ӛ!��`@��͋���_ٔZ��t�1C�(���z���z�r)I�2�s) Healthline Media does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. You might need to make another medication switch.© 2005-2020 Healthline Media a Red Ventures Company.
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��(� *� #�$Q���9H�9g�9����M? B�v��im"V��StJ�M7��o�&4t���winţA6��8��;���Y:�%����.y�k��j�my���b}�fք�k�c���Z��ܖ�8���;v6��z�o� !. Slowly tapering off your antidepressant can help you avoid these symptoms.By gradually reducing the dose of the drug over a period of four or more weeks, you’ll give your body time to adapt before you switch to a new drug.A washout period is the waiting time of a few days or weeks after stopping the old drug before starting the new one. Stopping your current medication too quickly can lead to withdrawal symptoms, or can cause your depression symptoms to return.
Read more about when antidepressants are used. Addiction causes actual chemical changes in your brain that make you crave and seek out the drug. All rights reserved. If you’ve been diagnosed with depression, your doctor will likely start you on a treatment plan of antidepressants like a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) or serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI). 7 0 obj © 2005-2020 Healthline Media a Red Ventures Company. Once the washout period is over, usually you’ll start with a low dose of the new drug. Reducing doses & discontinuation symptoms Antidepressants taken for months should be withdrawn over weeks, and if taken for years withdrawn over months. endobj 1 0 obj Switching antidepressants is covered in a table in Ap pendix 2. x��Zmo�6�����yHi��CQ oM[ m�x(��4WI�%v�(+��w��X�e��4�)�Zy|����Q��`^����bϟ��*�\_ا�x���h��k1:ϯ�i^��������{��� �Pl|9�&�0+���Yo�d�[jvza���`O����O���O~f�7��2�NΎ�h��YU�n��h��Sɝ� >eP�QK�\�GMٖ��i��M-��9�]l+��f`b��k�&���U���_N����$ώ^3�0���seF�0-FP��)Fd��v)Fp��C�FT�m�M��[l��2�W�bDn}��݈vQ3 F\����#�� �u�cJzQ�t��C�6�����60��B>������j�VK*����/@˭&����\Ʈ3��khz%��%�D`�]��8�{�ŕ�뀇���g��V�+�_���̗�N �p����k���&E�8a�k�����e*T4�Qt���ss�;������CO�q\�����#ktB`�G\i�N��[�6��!��������2�eX�C^p>���� �b�uWC N��c��( Gradual antidepressant withdrawal reduces the risk of complications. The new drug might also have different side effects than the one you used to take. <> They can also be used to treat a number of other conditions, including: obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) generalised anxiety disorder; post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) Antidepressants are also sometimes used to treat people with long-term (chronic) pain. It’s important that your doctor monitors you for side effects or problems during the switch.Doctors use four different strategies to switch people from one antidepressant to another:The strategy your doctor will choose will depend on factors like:Once you’ve been on antidepressants for over six weeks, your body gets used to the drug. However, not everyone will feel better with the first antidepressant they try. �+��U�u���U9�yꁭ�: \VӴ�V$@�`!�1����&ߎ�v=|Ǎ�{1���)� All rights reserved.
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endobj endobj endobj ��`�!�],�,>�˪*(�ϦChZ4���^b�����y���z�뀫!����! Switching antidepressants involves drug cessation, which may cause withdrawal symptoms and relapse or exacerbation of the psychiatric illness. stream If you start taking a new medication before the old one is out of your system, you can develop a condition called serotonin syndrome (SS).Certain antidepressants work by increasing the amount of the chemical serotonin in your brain. 9 0 obj Switching antidepressants needs to be done carefully and with the help of your doctor. <>
When switching between selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, tricyclic and related antidepressants, individual patient circumstances should be considered (see answer section).