For a lot of people with depression, medications are a part of any attempted treatment or alleviation of symptoms. However, I think there are some important considerations when taking medications for depression that may not always come up with other types of medications. One of those considerations is tapering. Tapering can go two ways – a dose can be gradually increased or “tapered up”, or it can be gradually decreased or “tapered down”. Of course, with a gradual decrease the medication may ultimately be stopped.
Why do I think tapering is important for depression medications? First of all, I think tapering up is good to help watch for both side effects and effectiveness. If you start at a high dose and have side effects, you might have not had the side effects at a lower dose. Also, the medication may work at a lower dose just as well as at a higher dose, so taking the least amount needed is better in my opinion. As many people have heard, the advice is to “start low and go slow”, and I think that is critical for a lot of medications, and definitely for any used for depression.
Tapering down medications is also important. I think we need to give our bodies time to adjust to changes in the medications we are taking, so again taking it slow is key here. Tapering down too fast can also cause side effects, and I believe we should do everything we can to minimize those.
So, if you are taking any medication for depression, consider asking your doctor about tapering the medication. Can you “start low and go slow”? Can you try tapering down to see if a lower dose is just as effective? Each person is unique, and tapering can look different for each person, but I encourage you to think about the tapering process when it comes to taking medications.