Jun 13, 2025
Antidepressant use is on the rise, with prescriptions of antidepressants taking off during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially amongst young people. While antidepressants are a powerful way to beat back depression and effectively treat mental health disorders, not every antidepressant is a good fit. Finding the right depression medication for you can take time and some trial and error.
One way to cut down on the time it takes to find the right antidepressant is by noticing when the antidepressant isn’t working, so you can alert your psychiatrist and try something new.
Curious about the types of antidepressants out there? Learn about antidepressants and their potential side effects in this article.
Signs Your Antidepressants Aren’t Working
Immediately stop taking the medication and go see a doctor if you experience:
- Confusion
- Agitation
- Muscle twitching
- Sweating
- Shivering
- Diarrhea
- Seizures
- Irregular heartbeat
- Unconsciousness
This could be signs of “serotonin syndrome”, a potentially deadly series of side effects to SSRIs when there is too much serotonin in the brain.
Serotonin syndrome is very rare, but something to be aware of.
More likely, if your antidepressants are a bad fit, you’ll experience uncomfortable side effects and/or no improvements in your depression symptoms.
Some signs your antidepressants aren’t working include:
- Persistent Symptoms: If you continue to experience persistent feelings of sadness, hopelessness, or anxiety despite being on antidepressants, it could be a sign that the medication isn't effectively managing your symptoms.
- No Improvement in Energy Levels: Antidepressants are often prescribed to improve energy levels and combat feelings of fatigue. If you're not noticing any enhancements in your overall energy or motivation, it may indicate that the medication isn't as effective as it should be.
- Unchanged Sleep Patterns: While antidepressants aim to regulate sleep patterns, if you're still struggling with insomnia, oversleeping, or disrupted sleep despite being on medication, it might be a sign that the current treatment plan isn't addressing your needs.
- Little to No Change in Appetite: Similarly, if your appetite and eating habits remain unchanged or if you experience significant changes in weight that aren't aligned with your treatment goals, your antidepressant may not be providing the necessary support.
- Suicidal Thoughts: If you are still experiencing persistent suicidal thoughts or tendencies, it's crucial to reach out for immediate help and reassess the effectiveness of your current medication management.
- Increased Anxiety or Panic: Rather than reducing symptoms of anxiety, if your antidepressants seem to be exacerbating feelings of agitation, panic, or unease, it's important to seek guidance from a mental health professional.
Some people experience an increase of suicidal or self-harming thoughts. If this occurs, talk to your psychiatrist right away about changing the medication.
Why aren’t your antidepressants working?
If you experience any of the above symptoms, does that mean antidepressants aren't for you? Not necessary. You very well could still benefit from an antidepressant; you just need a different type or dosage. 4 out of 10 people need to try more than one type or dosage of antidepressant before they start to feel better. Part of a psychiatrist’s job is helping you navigate the many different options to find one that works for you.
Reasons your antidepressants aren’t working include:
- The dosage is too low: Antidepressant dosage is a wide range. The right dosage for you depends on many factors such as gender, age, weight, severity of symptoms, and other factors unique to you. It can take a while to make sure your dosage is high enough that you don’t experience the symptoms but low enough that you don’t experience bad side effects.
- It’s not the right medication: There are many types of antidepressants. Depending on what causes your depression, you might need a different type of depression medication. Some people also have comorbid disorders, where they experience more than one type of mental health issue at once. In this case, multiple medications may be required. When taking multiple medications, always check with your psychiatrist that they are compatible.
- You aren’t following the routine: Some medications will require you to take it on an empty stomach, with food, as needed, once a day, before bed, or many other unique requirements. Not adhering to the strict schedule your psychiatrist gives you or skipping days may result in inefficient treatment.
- You’ve grown a tolerance to it: Over time, your body may adjust to the dosage of antidepressants you have and you grow a “tolerance” to it. This means that it stops affecting you positively and you need to up your dosage.
If you ever feel a return or worsening of your depression symptoms, reach out to your psychiatrist. They can adjust the dosage so it makes sense for you.
Talk to a Psychiatrist Near You
A psychiatrist is a medical doctor who is trained in mental health. They can prescribe and manage antidepressants as well as other medications for mental health. They are knowledgeable in many different types and will help you find the right one, dosage, and frequency.
Lifebulb has online psychiatrists who are available to see you today. If you think that antidepressants can help you, contact our team for session availability.
