31Jul/117
How do anti-depressants work and do they have negative effects?
I might be prescribed adhd or anti-depressants but don't know how anti-depressants work. Can I stop taking them whenever I want? Do they have short or long term effects? What chemical is in anti-depressants that effect the brain? Any info will help! Thanks!
July 31st, 2011 - 02:39
Types of antidepressants
Certain brain chemicals called neurotransmitters are associated with depression, particularly the neurotransmitters serotonin (ser-oh-TOE-nin), norepinephrine (nor-ep-ih-NEF-rin) and dopamine (DOE-puh-mene). Most antidepressants relieve depression by affecting these neurotransmitters. Each type (class) of antidepressant affects these neurotransmitters in slightly different ways.
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
Many doctors start depression treatment by prescribing an SSRI. SSRIs are safe and relieve depression for most people. However, like many antidepressants, they can cause sexual side effects — most commonly failure to achieve orgasm in women, and delayed ejaculation in men.
Venlafaxine (Effexor, Effexor XR). Venlafaxine may work for some people when other antidepressants haven’t. It can cause side effects similar to those caused by SSRIs. Venlafaxine can raise blood pressure, and overdose can be dangerous or fatal.
Desvenlafaxine (Pristiq). Desvenlafaxine is similar to venlafaxine. It may be less likely to cause sexual side effects and other side effects than does venlafaxine, but more research is needed to confirm this.
Duloxetine (Cymbalta). Duloxetine may help relieve physical pain in addition to depression — but it isn’t clear yet whether it works better than other antidepressants for pain relief. Duloxetine can cause a number of side effects. Nausea, dry mouth and constipation are particularly common. You shouldn’t take Duloxetine if you’re a heavy drinker or you have certain liver or kidney problems.
Atypical antidepressants
These medications are called "atypical" because they don’t fit neatly into other categories. Generally, atypical antidepressants cause fewer sexual side effects than other antidepressants do. Atypical antidepressants include:
Bupropion (Wellbutrin, Wellbutrin SR, Wellbutrin XL) has the fewest sexual side effects of all antidepressants. It may also suppress appetite, and it may help you stop smoking if you’re trying to quit. People with seizure disorders or who have bulimia or anorexia shouldn’t take bupropion.
Trazodone. This mild antidepressant is often prescribed as a sleep aid because it can be very sedating.
Mirtazapine (Remeron, Remeron SolTab). Like trazodone, mirtazapine can be sedating. It may increase lipid levels and cholesterol.
Nefazodone. This antidepressant is effective, but isn’t commonly prescribed because it has been linked to dangerous liver problems.
Tricyclic and tetracyclic antidepressants
These older antidepressants are effective, but are usually not a first-choice treatment for depression because of numerous side effects such as dry mouth, constipation, difficulty urinating, sedation, weight gain and sexual side effects. In some cases, a low dose of a cyclic antidepressant may be added to another antidepressant such as an SSRI to increase the antidepressant effect. Overdosing on a cyclic antidepressant can be deadly. These medications are not usually given to older adults or people who have low blood pressure or certain heart problems.
Monoamine oxidase inhibitors are used as a last resort because of numerous bothersome and potentially dangerous serious side effects. However, MAOIs can be effective for some forms of depression when other medications haven’t worked. Side effects can include dizziness, dry mouth, upset stomach, difficult urination, twitching muscles, sexual side effects, drowsiness and sleep problems. MAOIs can cause potentially fatal high blood pressure when combined with certain foods and beverages and certain other medications. MAOIs include:
Isocarboxazid (Marplan)
Phenelzine (Nardil)
Tranylcypromine (Parnate)
Selegiline (Emsam, Eldepryl, Zelapar)
Emsam is a type of MAOI that you stick on your skin (transdermal patch). It appears to have fewer side effects than MAOIs in pill form have, and with lower dose patches, dietary restrictions may not be needed.
Some Side Effects:
Dry mouth
Headache
Dizziness
Nausea
Insomnia
Sexual dysfunction
Weight gain, increased appetite
Antidepressants can cause suicidal thoughts and worsen depression in some cases
antidepressant withdrawal is possible if you abruptly stop taking an antidepressant, particularly if you’ve been taking it longer than six weeks. Symptoms of antidepressant withdrawal are sometimes called antidepressant discontinuation syndrome.
Quitting an antidepressant suddenly may cause symptoms such as:
Irritability
Anxiety
Insomnia
Headaches
Dizziness
Fatigue
Nausea
Return of depression symptoms
July 31st, 2011 - 02:39
A previous answer follows: View http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/05/08/robert-whitaker-interview.aspx Antidepressants/anxiolytics either don’t work for, cause side effects, or lose efficacy, over time, with a considerable proportion of people; probably more than 50%. See: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articl… and http://suiciderateup.wordpress.com I suggest that you view http://your-mental-health.8m.com/blank_27.html about depression, then page B. Check out http://www.drugs.com & http://www.rxlist.com and wean off, in accordance with http://www.itmonline.org/arts/ssri.htm SSRI WITHDRAWAL SCHEDULE, or http://www.theroadback.org/workbook.htm and begin the core treatments immediately, and the herbal remedies, or OTHER supplements, like SAM-e, 5-htp, or L-phenylalanine, when below 50% weaning dosage. St. John’s wort has anxiolytic, as well as antidepressant properties, so consider taking a RECOMMENDED brand, or at least a German variety. SJW is thought to work by increasing the levels of multiple neurotransmitters moderately, rather than just boosting those of serotonin considerably, as with many antidepressants. Use the effective natural core treatments for depression on page 3, at 8m.com, and read page B. If using a RECOMMENDED brand of St. John’s Wort (take with meals to avoid possible stomach upsets) view the websites about it on page B, and if using UP TO 50mg of 5-htp daily in addition (or UP TO 200mg of 5-htp if NOT using the wort) take with a very low protein meal, to maximise the amount crossing the blood/brain barrier, with no, or extremely little protein 2 hrs before, to 2 hrs afterwards.
Check out: http://www.foodforthebrain.org/content.a…
At least, give the above a trial period of 3 – 6 months, after weaning off, to see if they are sufficient. If not, (which is unlikely) medications will still be available, but maintain the core treatments as complementary ones, because they treat the cause, rather than mask symptoms.
There are various kinds, and levels of depression, with at least 7 different causes. Different treatments may apply. Doctors and psychiatrists rely too much these days on medications, and are overly influenced by the sales reps of the drug companies, who profile them psychologically, and study their prescribing record, then offer rewards, freebies, courses, payments to lecture; even attendance fees to view lectures. Use the Mercola.com SEARCH BAR, about how drug company money has corrupted psychiatry, and view: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2007/08/18/drug-company-reps-are-using-psychological-warfare-techniques-on-your-doctor.aspx People who ask their doctor for a certain brand have it prescribed 70% of the time, hence the huge media campaigns – see http://www.naturalnews.com/010315_advertising_drugs_doctors.html The feedback that I have received here is that antidepressants work, if they do, by blunting the emotions. Many users describe it as "zombification", or emotional deadness. They produce side effects in around 25% – 30% of cases, and they can sometimes (rarely) include the possibility of permanent inorgasmia, (inability to achieve orgasm: "I haven’t tried zoloft, but since the very first lexapro tablet I ever took, I have never had an orgasm again. And I came off it a year ago".) or even the permanent loss of the ability for a male to achieve an erection, which is something they don’t advertise. Although they may limit the lows, they also limit the excitement, and joys of life. That effect is far less pronounced with St. John’s wort, and may be unnoticeable.
July 31st, 2011 - 02:39
Wow Jerry gave a very detailed answer. I’ll keep mine a bit shorter.
Antidepressants change the chemical balance in the brain. They are designed to raise your mood.
Normally to stop antidepressants you would gradually reduce the dose over a few weeks. They do have side effects and it will depend on you and the tables prescribed. The doctor should be able to tell you about the possible side effects and which is most common to experience. Stupid as it sounds, antidepressants can cause depression and self harm. If you notice this, you need to talk to your doctor.
July 31st, 2011 - 02:39
for a good review, get the book the emperor’s new drugs by irving kirsch, or google him and read his interviews. it turns out antidepressants are working almost entirely thru placebo effect and the drug companies know this and have manipulated the data to make it look as if their pills work. this information has been confirmed by follow up studies. even AARP and Consumer Reports are reporting this information now.
antidepressants cause severe sexual dysfunction – you may as well forget about a physical relationship if you are on these pills. also, if you take them for several months, and you want to stop, you must taper off them very slowly or you can go thru hell withdrawal. the psychiatrist will tell you that it is your depression returning, but in most cases it is withdrawal. they always tell you to go off the drugs really fast too, so this makes withdrawal problems more likely.
I believe that antidepressants caused my bipolar to be permanently worse, and my brother believes this about himself also. many psychiatrists do think this is why there is more bipolar, and it is more severe, than in the past.
I can think of no good reason to take an antidepressant. the new abilify is even worse – the antipsychotics won’t just wreck your sex life and cause akathisia (severe unbearable agitation) they will also shave years off your life, and make you gain 50 lbs
PS antidepressants do change serotonin in the brain, but depression is not caused by low serotonin. Nobody knows what causes depression at this time. It turns out it is a lot more complicated than "a chemical imbalance in your brain" which was only ever a drug company advertisement, and then psychiatrists told it to their patients. the researchers have known it was not this simple for many years now.
July 31st, 2011 - 02:39
Well, there are lots of antidepressants. Some work with the serotonin in the brain, and some work with other receptors. There are some dangers to stopping an anti-depressant cold turkey. Some of them have a "withdrawal syndrome" if stopped cold turkey. They have some initial side-effects that can be uncomfortable. These side-effects get better over a couple of weeks in most cases. There are not long-term effects.
July 31st, 2011 - 02:39
They work by increasing serotonin level in your brain, which is linked to good mood.
Anti-depressant have negative effects depending on the molecule. In fact, they can cause all the side effects you can think of…
I’ve been taking antidepressants for the last six months. Personally, I have experienced these side effects since the beginning: insomnia, anxiety, urinary retention, suicidal thoughts, loss of hair, anorgasmia, lower libido, tremors, headaches and acne.
You cannot stop taking antidepressants whenever you want, otherwise you may suffer from withdrawal symptoms. You must stop taking them gradually.
July 31st, 2011 - 02:39
they affect the amount of serotonin levels in your brain and serotonin ultimately effects your mood. there are many different types of anti-depressants tho which work differently. the most common are prozac / SSRI selective seretonin re-uptake inhibitors … or something like that!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selective_serotonin_reuptake_inhibitor
it’s not adviseable to stop taking them whenever you want although I did that when I took them. I was put on prozac. honest truth, upset my stomach when i first started taking them for a good month or so so initially lost weight. it will effect your sex drive / feeling, reduce it drastically. but they did work, instead of ridiculous highs and low moods, they put me on an even keel and I actually strated to get some mental clarity which enabled me to do things. then when i was feeling extremely positive i decided it was ricidulous to be taking drugs which effect your liver and who knows what else, so came off them w/o consulting doctor then some months after was back to square one. I’ve never taken them for a long period as I’ve actively sought out other methods of trying to improve my situation but they certainly helped me over a couple of years. so i can’t tell you what the long term effects are but for me the short term were dodgy stomach and complete lack of sex drive which is common for SSRIs. they are not a cure but they can help but pls try and treat the reasons for your current depression (or other issues) with other methods too. invest in yourself, not drug companies!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_behavioral_therapy