#medication tips

Hi! I don’t take meds myself, but I know people who take Ritalin, so I spoke to them.

A few of them said that their doctors told them it was fine to take everyday, but they get headaches or stomach aches if they do, so they only take it on the days they go to work.

Most also said that it can make them feel dizzy, but remembering to drink lots of water throughout the day makes that a bit better. For whatever reason, the tablets dehydrate you, so even if you don’t feel sick or dizzy, try to drink more than you normally would.

And yeah, it’s fine to take them with water.

Remember to eat, too, especially since some people found that the meds suppress their appetite, so make sure you eat something before taking it. Food helps your body take the pills, anyway, and taking them on an empty stomach can make you feel sick.

Also, If you take Vitamin C supplements, it can mess with the absorption of the medication, so it won’t act as well as it should. So you should try to avoid foods that are high in Vitamin C for about an hour before and after you’ve taken the meds.

Hey Anon,It’s okay to be scared. New experiences are definitely scary; I was also very afraid when I got prescribed antidepressants. With mental health issues there’s a lot of stigma and a lot of unknown since we don’t talk about them too much, which makes us uncertain and anxious.

When taking any form of psychotropic medication, the most important thing is to maintain an open line of communication with your doctor. It’s a lot about being honest with how it’s affecting you, whether your situation has improved, and speaking up if there are any side effects which are bothering you. Follow your doctor’s advice on how and when to take the medication as well as dose. Having regular appointments is recommended, especially in the first few weeks of taking new medication. To remember to take your medication, you can set an alarm on your phone or a sticky note on your bathroom mirror or kitchen table. Pill boxes can be helpful to keep us organised and there are also some reminder apps which you may find useful. Also check out this post.

Secondly, it’s good to be aware that antidepressants don’t start to work immediately. It usually takes about 2-6 weeks for us to start noticing the change brought on by the medication as the drug needs time to reach a therapeutic level in our system (patience is key here). Antidepressants are not the be all end all and they won’t completely eradicate our symptoms or make us feel consistently happy. However, they make our symptoms more manageable and give us the capacity to enjoy life more fully again. It’s usually a good idea to have both medication and psychotherapy as they tend to compliment each other.

Like any other medication, antidepressants have side effects. Medication affects people differently so it’s helpful to list and share any bothersome side effects with your doctor. If you feel like you have a sudden occurrence or increased risk of suicidal thoughts or impulses, immediately contact your doctor or get emergency help. In general though, most side effects improve after a while so I would encourage you to wait it out a little bit if you can. If  the medication is not working for you or the side effects are too bad to withstand, there are other types of antidepressants and other combinations of pills which can be prescribed. It’s important that we don’t stop taking medication even if it doesn’t seem to be having an effect because it can cause some pretty bad withdrawal symptoms along with the return of our mental illness symptoms.

Something I would recommend to my past self would be to not start other new activities or experiences at the same time. Starting medication is a significant change in your life so avoiding new unnecessary stressors for a while might be a good idea so as not to feel overwhelmed. I would also suggest that you avoid alcohol and drugs while on medication. These can interact with the medication and make it less effective. Alcohol is a depressant making the whole antidepressant business quite futile. I understand that it may not be realistic to cut off substances completely, but limiting them temporarily would really do a great deal of good to our getting better.

Finally, I wish you the best of luck and I hope that antidepressants are the help that you are searching for. Remember that sometimes we all need a little help and there’s no shame in taking medication. Also feel free to check our resources page where you may find more useful information about medication. If you doctor has decided to not prescribe antidepressants I urge you to continue to seek treatment and strive towards the recovery you deserve.