4 ms·

Doctors I've talked to have said it's 4 to 6 weeks to reach a baseline, where the medication reaches a steady level in the blood and receptor changes in the bra

Doctors I've talked to have said it's 4 to 6 weeks to reach a baseline, where the medication reaches a steady level in the blood and receptor changes in the brain reach a new equilibrium, but even up to 2+ months for the real effect to kick in. Those 4-6 weeks are when your brain is adapting to an ever increasing serum level of antidepressants, and it takes about ~2 weeks for serotonin receptors to downregulate in response. That time can be very uncomfortable, specifically because SSRIs indirectly activate 5HT2C, leading to dysphoria, anxiety, etc, before the receptor is sufficiently downregulated. tl;dr: it can take longer than 4-6 weeks for efficacy to manifest

mylastattempt 2y ago
This is what I've heard from those I know that take anti depressants - the time that is suggested before you would be able to look back and say: "I'm doing much better than four weeks ago", is a bit daunting. First and foremost because you take them at a point in your life where you're, well, depressed (used as a blanket term here). So patiently waiting for the effect to manifest is a burden in itself, in addition to hoping it works and not being sure if you're experiencing a placebo or actual effect. But what scares me more, personally, is that it takes such a long time to get on and ween off. It seems to fundamentally change something in the human body or brain. As opposed to e.g. amphetamines, and benzos, which may have long lasting effects from prolonged use, but otherwise appear to be pretty straight forward. Having never needed antidepressants, I'm curious if others who have taken them, worried about this before or afterwards?
- heavyset_go 2y ago
  At least in my experience, going off traditional SSRIs wasn't fun, but after it's out of your blood and you wait your ~2 weeks for what is essentially serotonin withdrawal to subside, there weren't any lasting effects. I've experienced worse withdrawals from other drugs, but I've read that some people do get PAWS-like symptoms from SSRI, and especially SNRI, withdrawal.
- robocat 2y ago
  > benzos A friend working in rehab said benzos are very difficult to end taking - because of the way one gets addicted to em.
  - weweersdfsd 2y ago
    Yep, benzos work great for treating stuff like occasional anxiety attacks or sleep issue, but taking them regularly is never a good idea.
  - amanaplanacanal 2y ago
    Benzos (and alcohol) withdrawal can both be deadly if not tapered. They are not to be fucked around with.
  - mylastattempt 2y ago
    Well I was talking about how fast they have a noticable effect on people. Not about wether or not someone should take them, nor if they are addictive and to what degree. So I don't see the point in your reply, to be honest.
  - mharig 2y ago
    In my body, a Benzodiazepine cessation causes a drop of the blood pressure to around 70/30 for a few days. Kept me in bed.

mylastattempt 2y ago

This is what I've heard from those I know that take anti depressants - the time that is suggested before you would be able to look back and say: "I'm doing much better than four weeks ago", is a bit daunting. First and foremost because you take them at a point in your life where you're, well, depressed (used as a blanket term here). So patiently waiting for the effect to manifest is a burden in itself, in addition to hoping it works and not being sure if you're experiencing a placebo or actual effect. But what scares me more, personally, is that it takes such a long time to get on and ween off. It seems to fundamentally change something in the human body or brain. As opposed to e.g. amphetamines, and benzos, which may have long lasting effects from prolonged use, but otherwise appear to be pretty straight forward. Having never needed antidepressants, I'm curious if others who have taken them, worried about this before or afterwards?

heavyset_go 2y ago
At least in my experience, going off traditional SSRIs wasn't fun, but after it's out of your blood and you wait your ~2 weeks for what is essentially serotonin withdrawal to subside, there weren't any lasting effects. I've experienced worse withdrawals from other drugs, but I've read that some people do get PAWS-like symptoms from SSRI, and especially SNRI, withdrawal.
robocat 2y ago
> benzos A friend working in rehab said benzos are very difficult to end taking - because of the way one gets addicted to em.
- weweersdfsd 2y ago
  Yep, benzos work great for treating stuff like occasional anxiety attacks or sleep issue, but taking them regularly is never a good idea.
- amanaplanacanal 2y ago
  Benzos (and alcohol) withdrawal can both be deadly if not tapered. They are not to be fucked around with.
- mylastattempt 2y ago
  Well I was talking about how fast they have a noticable effect on people. Not about wether or not someone should take them, nor if they are addictive and to what degree. So I don't see the point in your reply, to be honest.
- mharig 2y ago
  In my body, a Benzodiazepine cessation causes a drop of the blood pressure to around 70/30 for a few days. Kept me in bed.