In general, what is the onset of action of an antihypertensive and an antidepressant?

Hello Mrs,

For the anti-hypertensive: In order to better inform you, I would like to know if you are talking about a specific drug or drugs. There is a wide range, and the answer often varies from agent to agent. If it's a general answer you're looking for, I'll try to give you a brief summary of the different classes of medications.For the antidepressant: the same question arises here. In addition, it is important to know for what indication the antidepressant was prescribed. Is it a medication that will treat pain, anxiety, depression or another disease?Waiting to hear from you,Stéphane Villeneuve, pharmacist

In general, the drug is expected to take effect within a few weeks. Normally, for most classes of antihypertensive drugs, adjustments to blood pressure targets are made on a monthly basis, i.e., four weeks after starting treatment or after a change in dose. Taking blood pressure twice a day (i.e., four times a day) for seven days allows us to determine how effective the medication is. If the targets are met, we can continue with the same dose. However, if the targets are not met, a readjustment of the treatment may be appropriate. At that point, we will usually wait another four weeks before resuming the blood pressure.

For the antidepressant class of medications, the onset of action is also referred to in terms of weeks. A medication is expected to have a minimum of effectiveness after two weeks of treatment. This minimum effectiveness is called the response. However, it will reach its maximum effectiveness after six to eight weeks of treatment. This maximum is called "remission". If the time-based objectives are not met (response and remission), it is important to contact your pharmacist or physician so that the treatment can be readjusted. Of course, this will depend on the side effects that can sometimes greatly alter the course of treatment. If such side effects occur, do not hesitate to contact your pharmacist as soon as possible so that he can help you manage them. If they are too troublesome, your pharmacist can contact your doctor to find a solution.