Taking antidepressants long-term can increase your chance of several side effects. There may be some benefits to stopping antidepressants, but speaking with a doctor first is important.
Antidepressant medication can be helpful for people with a variety of health conditions, from severe anxiety and depression to chronic pain.
These medications improve the efficiency of your brain chemicals by slowing down how quickly your body recycles them. Brain chemicals, or neurotransmitters, are substances that pass messages across your body. Antidepressant medications increase the availability of neurotransmitters and improve the delivery of messages in your brain.
Your brain is very sensitive to change. So, while increasing the available neurotransmitters can help relieve symptoms of depression or pain, it can also cause long-term side effects.
To make sure the benefits of antidepressants outweigh the side effects, consider speaking with a healthcare professional. They can help you decide whether to continue with antidepressant medication and help you stop safely if this is what you decide.
Possible benefits of stopping antidepressants can include:
Improved sleep
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Several antidepressants have sedative properties and can improve your sleep when used for a short period. A study from 2016 notes how antidepressants, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), may aid sleep.
However, when antidepressants are used for long-term treatment, they may disrupt your sleep quality and make falling or staying asleep difficult. According to data from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), antidepressants can cause insomnia in 17% of people.
These side effects will differ for each person, so it’s important to speak with a healthcare professional if you have any concerns.
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If you take antidepressant medications for longer than 3 years, you are more likely to experience side effects, such as weight gain. Medications that can cause weight gain include tricyclic antidepressants, such as amoxapine (Asendin) and amitriptyline (Elavil).
Most people find that when they stop taking antidepressants, their weight returns to how it was before they started the medication.
If you notice a significant difference in your weight after taking antidepressants, consider speaking with a doctor about your medication options. They can help identify if it is suitable for you to stop this treatment method.
Improved sexual health
Antidepressants can cause various side effects that affect your sexual well-being. These include decreasing your sexual desire and making it difficult to achieve orgasm.
According to a review from 2019, approximately 25–80% of people taking antidepressants will experience changes to their sexual function.
This is more likely with SSRI and SNRI medications, such as:
Stopping antidepressants will typically restore your sexual well-being. However, it is important to speak with a healthcare professional to determine if stopping your medication is safe.
Improved mental health
Taking antidepressants for a long time may lead to other mental health symptoms. For example, some people note an inability to feel a full range of emotions or feeling numb. This is also known as emotional blunting.
Stopping antidepressants may help with this. However, getting off antidepressants comes with several risk factors, such as withdrawal symptoms which can be severe.
This is why it is important to always speak with a healthcare professional before stopping medication such as antidepressants. They can help determine the best way to do this, such as lowering your dosage before stopping completely.
What are the risks?
If you take any antidepressant medications, like amitriptyline and doxepin, for longer than 6 weeks, you may experience discontinuation symptoms. Discontinuation symptoms are similar to withdrawal but are not due to addiction or dependence.
Discontinuation symptoms typically only develop if you stop taking these medications suddenly, without a slow tapering of doses over time. They are often mild and can last up to 2 weeks. However, for some people, symptoms may last several months or longer.
Around 20% of people who suddenly stop taking antidepressants experience discontinuation symptoms. Symptoms can be vague and differ between people. They may include:
Medication is not the only way to manage symptoms of depression. A doctor may suggest various alternative therapies and lifestyle changes if you want to avoid medication or have treatment-resistant depression.
Other treatment methods include:
Psychotherapy
Talk therapy, or psychotherapy, can help you unpack your thought processes and learn how to manage the negative feelings that depression can cause.
By talking with a mental health professional, you can understand why you may feel the way you do and how you can adjust your thoughts to better cope.
Sometimes, a doctor may suggest talk therapy alongside medication. There are many kinds of talk therapy, and it may be about trying different types to see which works best for you.
One common example is cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), which involves speaking with a therapist to understand and challenge unhelpful thought patterns. CBT can also help you develop the tools to manage anxiety and depression.
Acupuncture
According to research from 2017, acupuncture can help to improve the effectiveness of medications and other depression treatments. Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese medicinal practice that uses tiny needles to stimulate target areas in your body.
Lifestyle measures can also help to decrease depression symptoms. Examples include:
Exercise:Exercise can increase the amount of endorphins in your brain, the hormones responsible for boosting your mood.
Meditation: Stress can be a trigger for depression symptoms. Meditation may help prevent a relapse in symptoms after coming off antidepressants.
Avoiding alcohol: Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol over time can increase your risk of developing depression or anxiety. Avoiding alcohol, especially if you are taking antidepressants, is a good idea, as it can counteract the effects of your medication.
When should you speak with a doctor?
When a doctor first prescribes antidepressants, you may want to discuss what side effects to expect when taking the medication and what to expect when coming off them.
If you are experiencing any withdrawal or discontinuation symptoms, consider speaking with a healthcare professional. They can advise you on how to manage your symptoms.
Summary
Antidepressants can cause side effects, particularly if you take them for a long time. The medication can affect both your mental and physical health.
While there can be several benefits to stopping antidepressants, it also carries several risks, such as withdrawal symptoms. It is important to talk with a doctor before stopping any medication. They can advise if it is suitable to stop and taper your dosage to avoid discontinuation symptoms.
If you or someone you know is considering suicide or self-harm, please seek support:
Carpena M, et al. (2019). The effect of a six-week focused meditation training on depression and anxiety symptoms in Brazilian university students with 6 and 12 months of follow-up. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30597302/
Hieronymus F, et al. (2021). Do side effects of antidepressants impact efficacy estimates based on the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale? A pooled patient-level analysis. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41398-021-01364-0
