Your Low-Stress Guide to Leveling-Up Your Bedtime Routine
Are You Burnt Out or Depressed?
National Library of Medicine(NLM).
That is: You filled your initial prescription for good reason.
But we know a lot less about the long-term effects of antidepressants.
Heres what the experts had to say.
Are antidepressants safe long term?
a board-certified family medicine physician and District Medical Director at One Medical in North Carolina
So they need that extra bit of help to keep that neuro-hormone balance correct.
That means there are some antidepressant medications that may help fight off cognitive decline.
Whenever we talk about a medication, we always reference the risks and the benefits.
Alexa Mieses Malchuk, MD
I hear this question all the time from my patients.
And unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits-all answer.
The short answer is that its a complicated decision to make.
And its one that every individual should make in tandem with their physician.
People go on antidepressant medications for many different reasons.
Whenever we talk about a medication, we always reference the risks and the benefits.
a board-certified family medicine physician and District Medical Director at One Medical in North Carolina
The simple answer is, yes, theyre safe.
But not every SSRI [selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor] is made for every person.
It can cause more depression or more anxiety if its not meant for you, essentially.
Lets say you use Prozac.
Thats something your primary care doctors are well aware of.
Trial and error is the only way to minimize those long-term side effects.
It can take six to eight weeks for that protein to increase and have a helpful effect.
At that point, you may be able tostop taking the medication.
Its really not a perfect science, and its really individualized.
The takeaway
Current researchindicatesthat its likelysafe to use antidepressants long term.
Confused about your health?
Get answers to more common questions in ourReal Talk Rx series.
…
Got it, you’ve been added to our email list.
