Many patients often have some questions when treating their condition, such as: why is my condition more unstable than before after taking medication; or I am recovering well now, can I stop taking medication; and then why is the condition suddenly especially serious when I have been insisting on taking medication, etc. Today I am here to solve these problems uniformly for you, so that you have a certain correct understanding of depression medication ! 1, follow the doctor’s instructions to take the correct medication is more important than anything else. Since antidepressants stay in the bloodstream for a relatively long time, even if a patient forgets to continue taking them after taking them once, there is no immediate problem. However, if one always forgets to take them or takes them intermittently, what results is not only a failure to get better from symptoms, but even a recurrence of the condition. Especially when the treatment of depression has reached the stage of maintenance therapy with a small amount of medication to prevent relapse, a slight reduction in dosage may cause a worsening of symptoms, not to mention the interruption of dosage. Therefore, in the case of three daily doses, if the patient forgets to take the medication in the morning or during the day, he or she must take the same amount of medication before going to bed. If the medication is forgotten before bedtime, the patient must take about half a dose the next morning. Therefore, patients must pay attention to avoid missing medication during the medication period and strictly follow the medication method according to the amount of medication indicated by the doctor. If antidepressants are used together with other drugs, it may cause serious side effects and aggravation of physical symptoms, so if they must be used together with other drugs, they must be explained to the treating doctor. Especially if a depressed patient also suffers from high blood pressure, if antihypertensive drugs are used together with tricyclic antidepressants, it will not only affect the antihypertensive effect, but also may cause a sharp drop in blood pressure and other side effects. In addition, if patients taking anti-arrhythmics such as quinidine and procaine chloride-based compounds take tricyclic antidepressants at the same time, it will not only worsen the symptoms, but may also lead to the sudden death of the patient in serious cases. Therefore, SSRIs and SNRIs that have fewer side effects on the circulatory system such as the heart or blood vessels should be preferred for such patients. Glaucoma, hyperthyroidism, epilepsy, chronic rheumatoid arthritis, Parkinson’s disease, prostate hyperplasia, and people who have suffered from myocardial infarction may have their condition worsened by taking antidepressants. Therefore, in such cases, patients should truthfully inform their primary care physicians of their condition and choose the appropriate treatment according to their condition. 3. Pregnancy or breastfeeding should be avoided during antidepressant use Although it is not completely confirmed that antidepressant use has an effect on the baby, women in pregnancy and the possibility of pregnancy are limited to the smallest dose of antidepressants that can be taken during the acute onset, it is best not to take antidepressants, especially in the first three months of pregnancy, avoid taking antidepressants as much as possible. Women should try to avoid pregnancy while taking antidepressants, and if they become pregnant after starting the medication, they should always explain this to their primary care physician. In addition, antidepressants can have some effect on the breast-feeding baby, but this effect is much smaller compared to when the baby is pregnant. Since the metabolic function of breastfeeding is not yet perfect, the drug may accumulate in the breast, so female patients should change breastfeeding to artificial feeding as much as possible while taking antidepressants, based on the explanation with the primary care doctor. Alcoholic beverages and cigarettes can reduce the effect of antidepressants and increase the likelihood of side effects. Alcoholic beverages, in particular, “alcohol for sorrow”, not only no antidepressant effect, but also make the vicious circle of depressive symptoms, the dependence on alcohol will also become a barrier to treatment. Alcohol-drug interactions have been reported to cause life-threatening cases. Therefore, patients must control their alcohol consumption while taking antidepressants. The mechanism of the interaction between cigarettes and antidepressants is not well understood, but it is possible that smoking can decrease the concentration of the drug in the blood and lead to a poor treatment effect of antidepressants. Smoking to excess can also cause insomnia. Therefore, it is better to quit smoking while taking antidepressants. 5, taking antidepressants with sedative effect should avoid driving During taking antidepressants, patients often show symptoms of drowsiness, especially tricyclic antidepressants and other drugs that have obvious efficacy on restlessness, dizziness and agitation symptoms, which are more likely to cause drowsiness. In addition, antidepressants may also cause significant drowsiness when used in combination with anti-disturbance and anti-psychotic drugs. Therefore, patients should avoid driving after taking such drugs. If the patient is engaged in a job that requires a longer period of concentration, he or she must explain to the treating physician and follow the doctor’s instructions to change the medication or schedule the medication to be taken at a leisure time such as after dinner or before bedtime. In general, these side effects usually occur in the first 1-2 weeks of taking the medication and then disappear spontaneously. Depression is a relapsing disorder and requires strict compliance with physician’s orders for treatment and taking medication in strict accordance with regulations. In addition, such disorders can be more volatile in the fall and winter, so patients must adhere to effective treatment to avoid relapses that are more severe! Finally, I wish patients a speedy recovery!