How to Compare Depression Medications

Good mental health is vital to your quality of life. If you're suffering from depression and your family doctor or psychiatrist has recommended medication as part of your treatment, it's important that you determine the best medication for your specific needs. Your doctor or psychiatrist will suggest specific medications, but doing your own research can help you be more confident in your prescription and ultimately enjoy a better result.

Instructions

Finding the Right Drug for You

• 1

  Ask your doctor lots of questions and take notes on the answers. You need to know how severe your doctor rates your depression and how long she thinks you'll need to take medication for it. You should also ask if she believes there are medical conditions causing your depression and if there are any medications you should avoid because of interactions with existing conditions or prescriptions.

• 2

  Talk to your psychiatrist about the different prescription options he may be considering recommending for you. Discuss other treatment options that you should use in conjunction with drug therapy.

• 3

  Request the informative inserts for each drug you're considering. You can download these from pharmaceutical company websites or call and ask that they be mailed to you. Review the information in each insert. Find out how each drug works, what side effects to expect, and what withdrawal symptoms you might face when you're ready to discontinue the drug.

• 4

  Ask your prescribing doctor about generic versions of the recommended drugs. Generics are just as effective and can save you substantial money.

• 5

  Be prepared to undergo some trial and error in finding the right drug and dosage for you. Most antidepressants take four weeks to reach their full potency in your system. If after four weeks you don't feel a drug is benefitting you, work with your prescribing doctor to make the changes you need to get the help you're after.

• 6

  Enlist someone you trust to help you through the process of comparing prescription antidepressants. Depression can make it difficult to take action and follow through on commitments. By asking a loved one to help you, you can make sure you get and review all the information you should before making this important decision.