How long does it take to feel ANY effect from antidepressants?

[Anon54]

I remember trying lexapro years ago & i basically felt an effect after the first tablet. I know it takes approx 6 weeks to get the full theraputic effects but is it possible to start feeling a mood lift straight away or was this just placebo?

I know that the SNRI effect for tramadol worked straight away for me.

I also recently took mirtazepine & the next day after i only took 25mg te night before i noticed a slight stimulation the next day (if u wanna call it that)

I was more talkitive & felt a little hypermania (i think thats the right word)
i hope this is just a side-effect with some ADs & ya get tolerant to it & it reduces

in generally i dont really find any depressants very appealing but am i wrong to say that it starts to have atleast some effect straight away?

 

[Dedbeet]

Sure, it can... just takes awhile for the full effects to manifest, in particular the "relieving depression" effect. I definitely noticed an effect the first time I took Effexor XR (which I take regularly these days, and works very well for me fwiw).

 

[dokomo]

Many people report effects soon after starting an antidepressant. Some of it is placebo (in fact, a lot of it is) however it is possible to feel some effects shortly after starting.

Don't be discouraged by any side effects and whatnot in the interim time, as they typically go away after a few weeks of use as the full therapeutic effects start to come through.

 

[ronthedon]

depends on the drug and the dose but id say the slight effects take about 10-14 days and it wont be working full time until 5-6 weeks if ur feeling it after one pill id say thats placebo just just my opinion after being on 5 diff anti depressants over the past 5 6 years

 

[purple_cloud]

Many people report effects soon after starting an antidepressant. Some of it is placebo (in fact, a lot of it is) however it is possible to feel some effects shortly after starting.

Don't be discouraged by any side effects and whatnot in the interim time, as they typically go away after a few weeks of use as the full therapeutic effects start to come through.

Dokomo has definitely said it best. I felt some positive effects within a week of taking celexa (citalopram) and now that I'm on Lamictal (a little different than your typical AD since its a mood stabilizer/used for epilepsy) it has taken about a month for me to feel anything from it. I feel that a lot of it is placebo when you notice improvements after the first few days, but usually they are positive, so regardless of if they are placebo or not, it's usually a good thing.