@mlpbob
I gave my antidepressants a month or two to see how I did. One made my brain zap (Prozac/fluoxetine) when the dosage was increased so I stopped taking it. I do better on Wellbutrin (150-300mg) combined with Zoloft/sertraline (50mg). Before I had this combination, they tried me on Aripiprazole (2mg then 5mg) with Wellbutrin/bupropion but it caused increased pain and difficulty walking when the dosage was increased (tried the medication about 3-4 weeks before stopping). They then tried low dose Mirtazapine with Wellbutrin/bupropion but I could tell I had dramatically increased appetite after only one day so I stopped.

My rule of thumb is if the side effects are significant on lower doses of a new medication, increasing the dose will only make it worse. Depending on the side effects, I want off those that have significant side effects asap and will give other medications 2-4 weeks to see if I feel better. If the side effects outweigh the improvement in my symptoms, I want off them. I could tell after 1-2 weeks that the Zoloft/sertraline combined with Wellbutrin/bupropion worked better for me. They call this combination of medications “well-oft” because people seem to do well on this combination.

If you are not feeling any better after 2-3 weeks and have bad side effects, it may not be a good medication for you.