How to Use Depression Medication Without Symptoms

Antidepressant medication can help reduce depression, panic attacks and anxiety. In the United States, approximately 27 million people take antidepressants. Antidepressants can help raise your ability to function when you are coping with depression and anxiety. Depression medication can cause side effects, but you can try these methods to reduce or eliminate side effects from antidepressant use.

Instructions

• 1

  Try another depression medication if you are having intolerable symptoms. Some antidepressants will cause symptoms in one person, but not another. Individuals vary in their responses to medication. You may need to experiment in order to find the antidepressant that works for you. Doctors realize this, and many will give you samples so that you won't have to get a full prescription for a medication that you are not sure you are able to take.

• 2

  Change the time you take your depression medication if it is making you sleepy. Instead of taking it in the morning, try taking it before bed instead. The reverse applies if the medication is keeping you awake. In that case, make sure you are taking it early in the morning.

• 3

  Ask your doctor for a tranquilizer if your depression medication is making you feel nervous and jittery. Most side effects usually go away within a couple of weeks, and the tranquilizer can be taken on a temporary basis.

• 4

  Take your depression medication with food and drink plenty of fluids throughout the day. This will decrease the chance that you will experience nausea.

• 5

  Take a small dose of the antidepressant. If you have a prescription for a 50 milligram tablet, take one fourth of the tablet for a few days, then one half for a few days and so on until you are taking the entire dose. Tell your doctor you are taking this approach so he will be aware that it may take longer to reach a therapeutic dose. Ask him to prescribe the smallest dosage of the antidepressant so that it is easy to divide into a smaller initial dose. For example, Zoloft is prescribed in 25, 50 and 100 milligram tablets. If your doctor wants you to take 50 milligrams, and you are worried about side effects, ask for 25 and then break the tablet in half. Once you are able to take two tablets without side effects, you can ask him for the original prescription of 50 milligram tablets.