Augmentation Strategies to Increase Antidepressant Tolerability

The goal of antidepressant treatment is full remission, but adverse events prevent many patientsfrom reaching and sustaining this goal. Differential diagnosis should be made between antidepressantside effects and adverse events that are related to other causes. Antidepressant side effects may betransient or persistent and may occur early or later in treatment. Pharmacologic and nonpharmacologicstrategies can be used to improve the tolerability of antidepressants, resulting in a greater probabilityof achieving and sustaining remission.