About Medication
What to expect if you are considering medication treatment.
There are quite a number of popular myths about medications for mood and anxiety disorders, and many of these notions are incorrect. For example, medications are not “pep pills” and you should not anticipate feeling “high” or euphoric after taking them. Indeed, on starting the medication you may be surprised to find that the initial effects are virtually unnoticeable, though occasionally side effects may occur. However, over the first two to four weeks, positive changes in your symptoms may become evident to you.
Sticking with the treatment process
If you have only recently begun treatment it is important to stick to your doctor’s recommendations and to contact him or her in case you have concerns about progress. In your current state of mind impatience and discouragement probably come easily to you; after all, this may be part of the reason you are seeking help. It is important that you do not give up on the treatment during this early phase, so be sure to talk with your doctor about any difficulties you may be experiencing so that something can be done to address the problem.
How long to continue with treatment and why
Once you are feeling like yourself again it is important that you continue with the treatment for some time. Stopping medication or psychotherapy too soon or too quickly may result in relapse. If you are suffering from a first serious bout of illness it is recommended that you continue your medication for at least 6 to 9 months beyond the time of your recovery. If you have had three or more prior episodes or have a history of chronic, persistent symptoms, long-term treatment is recommended in order to prevent symptoms from reoccurring. Please be sure to continue taking your medication once you are feeling better, and review with your physician the strategy for you that best promotes the goal of achieving long term remission.
Management of possible side effects.
At the start of treatment and whenever you check in to report on your symptoms, the M3 Monitor also asks you about possible side effects you might be experiencing. Most often, when medication side effects do arise, they are mild and short-lived, or may be managed by an adjustment in dosing. By allowing you to keep track of these potential side effects, the M3 Monitor can give your doctor a clear picture of what your experience with the medication is like, so that the two of you can discuss how to get the most out of treatment
Making adjustments to help bring relief
For the average patient, after 2 to 4 weeks of treatment an improvement in mood and energy and a reduction in tension will become apparent. After this initial response further improvement may continue over the next 8 weeks or longer. Of course, it is important to have a plan in case improvement is not evident.
By the end of week 4 of treatment, if side effects are absent or minimal but there is little to no improvement to report, you and your physician should review your treatment, either adding medication to ongoing psychotherapy or increasing the dose of medication you may already be taking. By the end or week 8, if you continue unimproved, you should discuss your options for changing to another form of treatment.
Not everyone responds to the first round of therapy, but this is not a reason to give up. If you have had an unsatisfactory response to one medication or form of psychotherapy you may still respond very well to another.