Anti-Depressants Drugs

Buspirone?is used in the treatment of anxiety disorders and for short-term relief of the symptoms of anxiety.

Paxil?is used to treat depression, panic attacks, obsessive compulsive disorders (OCD), social anxiety disorder (social phobia), and generalized anxiety disorder.

Lexapro?is prescribed for major depression.

Celexa?is used to treat major depression.

Generic Prozac?(Fluoxetine) is used to treat depression, bulimia, obsessive compulsive disorders (OCD), and severe symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (premenstrual dysphoric disorder-PMDD).

BuSpar?is used in the treatment of anxiety disorders and for short-term relief of the symptoms of anxiety.

Zoloft?is prescribed for major depressive disorder. Zoloft?can also be used for the type of depression called premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). In addition, Zoloft?is used in the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder. It is also prescribed for the treatment of panic disorder and for posttraumatic stress.

What is depression?

Depression is a medical illness, like diabetes or high blood pressure. People don't choose to be depressed. It's not because they're weak or "crazy." Depression affects more than 17 million people in the United States each year. It's twice as common in women as in men. Symptoms of depression include the following:

• Feeling sad most of the day, nearly every day, for 2 weeks or longer
• Loss of interest in things you used to enjoy
• Lack of energy
• Sleep and appetite disturbances
• Weight changes
• Feelings of hopelessness, helplessness and worthlessness
• Not being able to make decisions
• Thoughts of death and suicide

What causes depression?

How will my doctor treat my depression?

Depression can be treated with medicine, counseling or both. The combination of medicine with counseling helps most people. Counseling can help you change a negative view of yourself, your past and your future. Exercising on a regular basis and avoiding alcohol, illegal drugs and too much caffeine can also help.

Medicines that treat depression are called antidepressants. They help increase the number of chemical messengers (serotonin and norepinephrine) in your brain.

How will my doctor choose an antidepressant for me?

Your doctor will probably think about the following 10 points when choosing an antidepressant medicine for you:

1. If you were depressed before and a certain antidepressant worked well, that antidepressant might be the right choice of medicine for you again.
2. If any of your brothers or sisters, parents, uncles or aunts had depression and a certain antidepressant worked well for them, that medicine might work for you too.
3. The choice of an antidepressant depends on your health. If a certain antidepressant would have a bad effect on a health problem you have, that medicine wouldn't be the right choice for you.
4. Antidepressants may cause side effects. The right medicine for you may be the one that gives you the fewest side effects. 
5. The choice of an antidepressant depends on how often you have to take it. The less often you have to take the medicine, the easier it is for you to take all the doses you need to treat your depression.
6. Some antidepressants cost more than others. Your doctor will choose an antidepressant that works for you and that you can afford.
7. Your doctor will want to choose a medicine he or she has experience prescribing.
8. Your doctor will choose an antidepressant that will help you with symptoms like sleeplessness, anxiety and lack of energy.
9. If you're taking other medicines, your doctor will consider how an antidepressant will work with these other medicines.
10. Some antidepressants don't work well with certain foods. If your doctor gives you one of these antidepressants, he or she will let you know which foods you should stop eating.

Are antidepressants tranquilizers or "uppers"? Can I get addicted to them?

Do antidepressants cause side effects?

What are some of the common side effects of antidepressants?

Different antidepressants can cause different side effects.  Possible side effects may include the following:

• Anxiety
• Bladder problems
• Blurred vision
• Constipation
• Diarrhea
• Dizziness when standing up
• Dry mouth
• Excessive tiredness
• Feeling of weakness
• Hand tremors
• Increased heart rate
• Increased sleepiness
• Insomnia
• Muscle twitching
• Nausea
• Sexual dysfunction (inability to ejaculate or to have an orgasm)
• Tremor
• Vomiting
• Weight gain

What if the side effects don't go away after a little while?

How will I know if my antidepressant is working?

You will be able to sleep better. You'll be better able to meet your day-to-day obligations and take care of yourself (such as caring for your hair, dressing well, eating regularly). You will have more energy. Your weight problems will get better, and your appetite will be closer to "normal." You will have an increased desire to live. You and your family and friends will notice these changes. Be patient, though. It may take some time to get back to the way you felt before the depression.

How long will I take the antidepressant?

Can I drink alcohol when I'm taking an antidepressant?

Where can I get more information about depression?

Other Organizations

National Institute of Mental Health Public Inquiries
http://www.nimh.nih.gov
6001 Executive Boulevard, Rm. 8184, MSC 9663
Bethesda, MD 20892-9663
800-421-4211

Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance
http://www.dbsalliance.org/
730 N. Franklin St., Suite 501
Chicago, IL 60610-7204
800-826-3632

Antidepressants are medicines used to help people who have depression. With the help of these depression medications, most people can achieve significant recovery from depression.

Antidepressant drugs are not happy pills, and they are not a panacea. They are prescription-only drugs that come with risks as well as benefits, and should only ever be taken under a doctor’s supervision. They are, however, one depression treatment option. Taking medications for depression is not a sign of personal weakness — and there is good evidence that they do help.

Whether antidepressant medication is the best treatment option depends on how severe the person's depression is, their history of illness, their age (psychological treatments are usually the first choice for children and adolescents), and their personal preferences. Most people do best with a combination of medications for depression and therapy.

For adults with severe depression, says psychiatrist, Petros Markou, M.D., there is strong evidence that antidepressants are more effective than any other treatment. If depression is mild or moderate, psychotherapy alone may be sufficient, though even in this case, short-term antidepressant drug treatment or herbal therapy can help people get to the point where they can engage in therapy and get some exercise (which is also thought to help improve mood).

How Antidepressants Work

Most antidepressants are believed to work by slowing the removal of certain chemicals from the brain. These chemicals are called neurotransmitters (such as serotonin and norepinephrine). Neurotransmitters are needed for normal brain function and are involved in the control of mood and in other responses and functions, such as eating, sleep, pain, and thinking.

Antidepressants help people with depression by making these natural chemicals more available to the brain. By restoring the brain's chemical balance, antidepressants help relieve the symptoms of depression.

Typically, antidepressants are taken for 4 to 6 months. In some cases, however, patients and their doctors may decide that antidepressants are needed for a longer time.

Types of Antidepressants

There are many different kinds of antidepressants, including:

• Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
• Tricyclic antidepressants (tricyclics)
• Others

Like most medicines, antidepressant drugs can cause side effects. Not all people get these side effects. Any side effects you have will depend on the medicine your doctor has chosen for you. Your doctor should talk to you about your medicine.

SSRIs

SSRIs are a group of antidepressants that includes drugs such as escitalopram (brand name: Lexapro) citalopram (brand name: Celexa), fluoxetine (brand name: Prozac), paroxetine (brand name: Paxil) and sertraline (brand name: Zoloft). Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors act only on the neurotransmitter serotonin, while tricyclic antidepressants and MAO inhibitors act on both serotonin and another neurotransmitter, norepinephrine, and may also interact with other chemicals throughout the body.

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors have fewer side effects than tricyclic antidepressants and MAO inhibitors, perhaps because selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors act only on one body chemical, serotonin. Some of the side effects that can be caused by SSRIs include dry mouth, nausea, nervousness, insomnia, headache and sexual problems. People taking fluoxetine might also have a feeling of being unable to sit still. People taking paroxetine might feel tired. People taking sertraline might have runny stools and diarrhea.

Tricyclics

The tricyclics have been used to treat depression for a long time. They act on both serotonin and another neurotransmitter, norepinephrine, and may also interact with other chemicals throughout the body. They include amitriptyline (brand name: Elavil), desipramine (brand name: Norpramin), imipramine (brand name: Tofranil) and nortriptyline (brand names: Aventyl, Pamelor). Common side effects caused by these medicines include dry mouth, blurred vision, constipation, difficulty urinating, worsening of glaucoma, impaired thinking and tiredness. These antidepressants can also affect a person's blood pressure and heart rate.

Other Antidepressants

Other antidepressants exist that have different ways of working than the SSRIs and tricylics. Commonly used ones are venlafaxine, nefazadone, bupropion, mirtazapine and trazodone. Less commonly used are the monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs).

Some of the most common side effects in people taking venlafaxine (brand name: Effexor) include nausea and loss of appetite, anxiety and nervousness, headache, insomnia and tiredness. Dry mouth, constipation, weight loss, sexual problems, increased blood pressure, increased heart rate and increased cholesterol levels can also occur.

Nefazodone (brand name: Serzone) can give people headaches, blurred vision, dizziness, nausea, constipation, dry mouth and tiredness.

Bupropion (brand name: Wellbutrin) can cause agitation, insomnia, headache and nausea. Mirtazapine (brand name: Remeron) can cause sedation, increased appetite, weight gain, dizziness, dry mouth and constipation. Some of the most common side effects of trazodone (brand name: Desyrel) are sedation, dry mouth and nausea. MAOI antidepressants like phenelzine (brand name: Nardil) and tranylcypromine (brand name: Parnate) commonly cause weakness, dizziness, headaches and tremor.