Treating Depression: 4 Tips for Choosing the Right Medication With Your Provider

If you’re interested in starting medication for major depressive disorder, you and your healthcare provider will need to work together to find the right fit for you. In some cases, you may need to try more than one medication before you find the right one.

There are many different medications for depression. While they have similarities, they each work in slightly different ways. Plus, not everyone may respond to a particular medication in the same way.

What are tips to help you choose an antidepressant?

To help you find relief from depression sooner, the following tips may help.

1. Tell your provider what your main symptoms are

“What are some of the core symptoms you’re experiencing?” asks Jacques Ambrose, MD, MPH, FAPA, Psychiatrist at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. “Is it sleep? Is it energy? Is it concentration?”

Understanding your primary symptoms may help your provider make a recommendation.

2. Tell your provider what potential side effects you’re concerned about

For example, some people are concerned about drowsiness, reduced libido, and/or weight gain. Some antidepressants are more likely to cause certain side effects than others (although it can vary in each person). 

Your provider can then make suggestions based on which particular side effects you’d like to avoid.

3. Tell your provider what other health conditions you have

Depending on your other health conditions, there may be certain types of antidepressants that may not be a good fit for you. You may also be taking medications for other health conditions, which might have interactions with certain antidepressants.

Your provider will consider all the aspects of your health to make sure an antidepressant is safe and appropriate for you.

4. Discuss how intense or severe your depression is

It’s helpful to be honest with your provider about how the symptoms are affecting you. Try not to downplay your situation — there’s no need to feel ashamed or embarrassed about depression. Your provider just wants to help you, and to do that, they need all the information.

“Depending on the severity of the symptoms, we may try more aggressive medications [or] interventional treatments,” says Dr. Ambrose.

If you don’t yet have a mental health provider, one option is to visit your primary care provider. They can help assess the situation, refer you to a mental health provider, and tell you about other potential resources for support.