Increasing / Optimizing the Antidepressant Dose

If the patient is not yet responding, and if the maximum is not yet reached, consider increasing / optimizing the dose. 

Note: Need to consider severity of the illness when deciding to increase the dose. For patients with  mild illness consider waiting longer for response to avoid unnecessary side effects.

Do not increase/maximize the antidepressant dose if:

• There are significant side effects or drug allergies
• Significant risk of drug interactions

Note: Lower doses or less frequent dosage increase may be better for anxious or medically compromised patients.