Monday, July 14, 2008

Augmentations

If an antidepressant is not working, what can be added to make the drug work better?

1) a second antidepressant, usually from a different class
2) lithium
3) an atypical antipsychotic such as risperidone, olanzapine, or quetiapine
4) a type of thyroid hormone (tri-iodothyronine)
5) a stimulant

One or more of these options can be systematically tried. Before adding anything new, though, it is important to give the first drug a good chance at the highest possible dose, and for a trial of at least 2-3 months in cases of resistant depression.

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