How to Select a Postpartum Depression Medication

There are many different types of antidepressant drugs, and each one treats depression in a different way. Doctors try to select the best antidepressant for patients based on the answers the patients give to certain questions. It is easier to treat postpartum depression when the patient is taking the antidepressant that best suits her needs. Read on to learn more about how to select a postpartum depression medication.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Doctor

1. Ensure that you qualify to use medication to treat your postpartum depression. The evaluation you receive from your doctor should reveal the level of severity of this illness. If it is mild enough, your doctor may suggest alternative methods of dealing with it, including getting lots of rest, avoiding isolation, joining a parenting group and seeking counseling.
2. Talk to your doctor about antidepressants in order to understand how they work. These drugs are meant to balance neurotransmitters in the brain. Neurotransmitters are chemicals in the brain that help it to function normally.
3. Let your doctor know what other medications you are currently taking. Some antidepressants react negatively when mixed with other drugs. Your doctor should select an antidepressant that will be safe for you to take with your other medication.
4. Learn about the antidepressants for which you may qualify. There are many types of antidepressants, and they are grouped into the following: selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI), tricyclics, serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRI), norepinephrine and dopamine reuptake inhibitors (NDRI), combined reuptake inhibitors, receptor blockers and monamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOI). These drugs may fall into different categories, but they all share the same goal.
5. Learn about the side effects of the different antidepressants. Each group of antidepressants has unique side effects. Finding out what they are from your doctor can help you to make an informed choice.
6. Find out how long you will have to take the prescribed medication. You may have to take this medication anywhere from four months to one year. This varies from patient to patient and depends on the severity of the depression. While you are taking this medication, your doctor may want to see you at certain times in order to evaluate your response to the treatment, increasing or decreasing the dosage as needed.

Tips & Warnings

• Do not take medication that has been prescribed for someone else, even if it is the same type of medication that has been prescribed for you.
• Go to the emergency room if you develop a negative reaction to a medication you are taking for postpartum depression.