Giving an antidepressant a fair trial
An antidepressant should be given a fair trial - a full dose for long enough - before it is judged a failure or switched.
Across de-identified U.S. psychiatric records, we found this step was missed about 53% of the time it should have happened.
This page is here to help you know what to ask about. It is not medical advice, and you should never start, stop, or change a medication on your own. Bring these questions to a doctor who knows you.
Questions to ask your doctor
Copy a line and ask it at your next visit. These are questions to start a conversation, not instructions to change your treatment.
- Have I been on a full dose of this antidepressant long enough to know if it works?
- What's the plan if it isn't helping after a fair trial?
This page is information, not medical advice. It describes care patterns across many people and can't speak to your own situation. Bring these questions to a clinician who knows you.
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