Antidepressants can be a lifeline for people living with depression and anxiety. Knowing how long it takes for an antidepressant to work is crucial, whether you’re taking depression medication for the first time or switching to a new drug.
An antidepressant medication timeline will help you know what to expect, which can be especially important if a drug isn’t working and addressing your depression symptoms as intended. As you start your journey toward improved mental health, make sure that you keep in close contact with your doctor so they can monitor how any antidepressant medication is working for your depressive symptoms.
How Quickly Do Antidepressants Work?
The onset of action for any antidepressant treatment option can vary from person to person. Factors like the severity of depression symptoms, other existing health conditions, age and weight, and medical history can all come into play when it comes to how well depression medication works. However, research shows that many people start noticing some improvements within just a couple of weeks after starting an antidepressant. The National Institute of Mental Health notes that full improvement in mood can take much longer — sometimes as long as 4 to 8 weeks.
While it may take longer to see the full benefits, it is possible (and not uncommon) to start noticing small symptom improvements sooner rather than later.
If you’ve been taking an antidepressant for a month or longer and don’t feel any better, or if your symptoms have gotten worse, you should talk to your doctor right away. They might suggest a different dosage or an entirely new antidepressant treatment option.
Initial Effects vs. Full Effects
The effect you feel from an antidepressant can change over time. Initially, you might feel some improvement in symptoms like better sleep and increased energy levels. Significant mood changes, though, will likely take longer.
“It is possible to start feeling some relief of symptoms within the first week of starting an antidepressant. However, it takes longer to see the full benefit of the medication. Full benefit may look like complete remission of all symptoms or treatment of most of the symptoms.”
– Talkspace psychiatrist Dr. Dion Metzger, MD
Full therapeutic effects of taking an antidepressant are generally felt within anywhere from 6 to 8 weeks, according to some research. It’s important to remember that you need to be patient when starting a new medication. Because drugs can work differently for everyone, there often is some trial and error. You might even need to change dosage or switch medications before finding the perfect mix that works best for your symptoms.
Factors Affecting the Timeline
Part of understanding if an antidepressant works is knowing the factors that can affect how long it takes to see improvement. Some things that can alter that timeline include:
Type of antidepressant you’re taking
Dosage
Individual body and brain chemistry
Severity of symptoms
Type of antidepressant
The type of medication you take plays a significant role in determining how long it takes for antidepressants to work.
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs): SSRIs can take 1 to 6 weeks before they start working.
Serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs): SNRIs might take anywhere from 6 to 8 weeks before feeling full effects.
Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs): TCAs can take approximately 2 to 6 weeks before noticing obvious or noticeable improvement.
Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs): Most often, MAOIs can start to work within 2 – 3 weeks, although the full therapeutic effect can take up to 6 months in some people.
Atypical antidepressants: It can take several weeks before experiencing the full effects of an atypical antidepressant.
Dosage
Another factor in how long it takes an antidepressant to work is the dosage your doctor puts you on — this doesn’t only have to do with how much you take or how often you take it.
How quickly your body metabolizes a drug will determine how fast it works. Higher doses might speed up response time, but that’s not always the case. With any medication, more isn’t always better, especially when we consider brain chemistry balance. If you’re unsure if the medication is working as intended, look out for signs that your antidepressant dose is too low or high.
Individual differences
Because body and brain chemistry is unique, not all medications will work the same way for everyone. Every drug can work in varying amounts of time and with different levels of efficacy based on things like age, genetics, weight, and even gut bacteria composition. Studies show a direct link between gut microbiota and drug efficacy and responses.
Severity of symptoms
How severe symptoms of your mental health condition are will affect how well and quickly a medication can begin working. Milder symptoms may improve more rapidly, whereas someone with severe depression might not feel better for quite some time.
Importance of Adherence to Treatment
Since there isn’t a standard timeline regarding how long it takes for antidepressants to work, adhering to your doctor’s prescribed treatment plan is essential to knowing if a medication is working. If you don’t follow the correct schedule, a drug might not work as intended, and there are other risks, too.
“It is important to give antidepressants at least 4 weeks to see if they work. If you need to stop the medication due to side effects, discuss with your doctor first to learn the safest way to discontinue. Abruptly stopping some antidepressants can result in fatigue, headaches, and nausea. There are certain antidepressants where the dose needs to be lowered over 2-4 weeks to avoid withdrawal symptoms.”
– Talkspace psychiatrist Dr. Dion Metzger, MD
Your prescribed dose — both how much and when you take it — ensures steady blood levels, which helps a medication treat your symptoms more effectively and efficiently. Missing a dose now and then generally won’t be a matter of life and death, but the more consistently you take your antidepressant, the better it’s going to work. In short, consistent adherence optimizes and enhances the outcomes of a drug.
Warning: Never abruptly stop or alter your medication without talking to your doctor or a healthcare provider. Discontinuation of medication without a proper taper plan in place can cause serious withdrawal symptoms or, in severe cases, even lead to death.
Talk to a Mental Health Provider
Talkspace is an online platform that offers a convenient, affordable way to seek drug consultations and personalized mental healthcare. Talkspace’s psychiatrists can prescribe certain medications and monitor your progress as you start any drug. They’ll be able to manage your medication, adjust the dosage, or help you with anything else along the way.
Get connected with an online psychiatrist today for medication management and more.
Sources:
Overview – Antidepressants. NHS. November 4, 2021. Accessed January 24, 2024. https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/talking-therapies-medicine-treatments/medicines-and-psychiatry/antidepressants/overview/.
Mental health medications. National Institute of Mental Health. Accessed January 24, 2024. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/mental-health-medications#part_2359.
Gaynes BN, Warden D, Trivedi MH, Wisniewski SR, Fava M, Rush AJ. What did star*d teach us? results from a large-scale, practical, clinical trial for patients with depression. Psychiatric Services. 2009;60(11):1439-1445. doi:10.1176/ps.2009.60.11.1439. https://ps.psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/ps.2009.60.11.1439. Accessed January 24, 2024.
Taylor MJ, Freemantle N, Geddes JR, Bhagwagar Z. Early onset of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressant action. Archives of General Psychiatry. 2006;63(11):1217. doi:10.1001/archpsyc.63.11.1217. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17088502/. Accessed January 24, 2024.
Sub Laban T, Saadabadi A. Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOI). National Library of Medicine. July 17, 2023. Accessed January 24, 2024. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK539848/.
Vich Vila A, Collij V, Sanna S, et al. Impact of commonly used drugs on the composition and metabolic function of the gut microbiota. Nature Communications. 2020;11(1). doi:10.1038/s41467-019-14177-z. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6969170/. Accessed January 24, 2024.
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