When Antidepressants Don't Work: Looking Deeper at Neurotransmitters

Many people struggling with anxiety, low mood, irritability, or lack of motivation are quickly prescribed medications like SSRIs or SNRIs. For some, these can be life-changing.

But for others… they don’t seem to help enough—or at all.

If that’s you, it doesn’t mean your symptoms aren’t real.

It may simply mean no one has looked deeply enough at why your brain is struggling in the first place.

Your Brain Chemistry Isn’t “One-Size-Fits-All”

Medications like SSRIs and SNRIs are designed to influence neurotransmitters such as:

• Serotonin (mood, calm, sleep)
• Dopamine (motivation, focus, reward)
• Norepinephrine (energy, alertness)

But here’s the missing piece… Most people are prescribed these medications without ever measuring or evaluating their actual neurotransmitter patterns.

Imagine trying to fix a problem without knowing what’s actually broken.

What If Your Body Can’t Make Enough Neurotransmitters?

Neurotransmitters aren’t just “there”—your body has to build them.

And that process depends on key building blocks and cofactors, including:

• Adequate protein intake (amino acids like tryptophan and tyrosine)
• Vitamins such as B6, B12, and folate
• Minerals like magnesium and iron
• Healthy gut function (where many neurotransmitters are influenced)

If even one piece of that system is missing, your body may struggle to produce the very chemicals that regulate mood and anxiety.

In these cases, simply trying to “push” neurotransmitters with medication may not fully resolve the issue.

A More Personalized Approach

In our practice, we take a more comprehensive look at brain chemistry.

This may include:

• Urine neurotransmitter testing to evaluate patterns
• Looking at nutritional cofactors needed to produce and balance neurotransmitters
• Assessing diet, protein intake, and absorption
• Evaluating related systems like hormones and gut health

This allows us to ask a different question: Why is your body struggling to create balance in the first place?

Supporting Your Brain—Naturally

For many patients with mild to moderate symptoms, we can often support improvement by:

• Replenishing key nutrients and cofactors
• Optimizing protein intake
• Supporting healthy neurotransmitter pathways
• Addressing underlying imbalances

This approach is not about “quick fixes”—it’s about helping your body function the way it was designed to.

You’re Not “Broken”—You May Be Missing Pieces

If you’ve tried medications and still don’t feel like yourself…
Or if you’ve been told “everything looks normal” but you know something isn’t right…

There may be more to the story.

Let’s Take a Closer Look

If you’re dealing with anxiety, low mood, poor focus, or lack of motivation, and you’re ready for a more personalized approach:

Schedule an appointment today to evaluate your neurotransmitters and underlying biochemistry.