Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) have been prescribed by physicians for many years now. One reason SSRIs are so popular is because of the many mental disorders they can be used for such as anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), phobias, and many more (Weitzel & Jiwanlal, 2001). The four major types of SSRIs that are most commonly used by people with mental disorders are fluoxetine (Prozac), paroxetine (Paxil), sertraline (Zoloft), and citalopram hydrobromide (Celexa); SSRIs work on the brain by acting on the reuptake pathway of serotonin (Stone, 2010). There are some advantages for taking SSRIs. One advantage is that SSRIs have fewer side effects than most of the other antidepressant medications such as monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) and tricyclics (Weitzel & Jiwanlal, 2001). Another advantage is that SSRIs have less of a risk of toxicity in overdose (Lane, Baldwin, & Preskorn, 1995). SSRIs are better tolerated than tricyclic antidepressant medication because they cause less sedation and problematic anticholinergic effects. There are also reports indicating that SSRIs have fewer negative effects on the cardiovascular system than tricyclic antidepressants (Edwards, 1992). Furthermore, some psychiatrists believe that SSRIs are an important advancement in treating mental disorders (Edwards, 1992). One article has found evidence that SSRIs can possibly help patients with recovery after a stroke, regardless of if they did or did not have
The pain spoke meanwhile sadness pierced through skins, however, the drugs was able to silence the beast within. Antidepressant the legal drug of choice is prescribed by doctors to treat a variety of medical conditions. These drugs are often prescribed by themselves or sometimes with others with the intent of having a greater effect on the beast within. Antidepressants come in several classes with each being stronger than the one before. Although antidepressants are often prescribed to treat depression in recent times the distribution of these drugs across the medical field have widened. Since the 1950s, medical personnels have moved from having two antidepressants: iproniazid and monoamine-oxidase inhibitor used to treat tuberculosis to now
All antidepressants work in a similar way, though there are various types of antidepressants—often called “families”—that each work a bit differently. They all, however, increase the brain’s concentration of various neurotransmitters. Antidepressants are psychiatric medications given to patients with depressive disorders to alleviate symptoms. They correct chemical imbalances of neurotransmitters in the brain which probably cause changes in mood and behavior. Antidepressants may be used for a wide range of psychiatric conditions, including social anxiety disorder, anxiety disorders. Antidepressants were initially developed in the 1950s. Their use has become progressively more common over the last twenty years. Generally speaking, antipsychotic
Chronic intake, the delayed onset of action, drug resistance and numerous side effects force the researchers to look for the new, safe antidepressant strategies (1, 2) with rapid onset and longer time of action.
ii. Serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) which you may have heard of as Pristiq, Cymbalta or Effexor, though they are a more recent addition to the antidepressants. Then we have,
It all determines if the NPD patient has an Axis I diagnosis of major depression or any depressive symptoms relative to egotistic pathology that will influence the lengthen the course of treatment. Different types of SSRI’s are Celexa, Lexapro, Prozac, Luvox CR, and many others. Celexa, or Citalopram, can enhance the serotonin activity in the neuronal membrane. Lexapro, or Escitalopram, is used to treat depression in NPD patients and relief of depression can occur faster with this antidepressant better than any other antidepressant. Prozac, or Fluoxetine, inhibits presynaptic serotonin with little to no effect on the reuptake of norepinephrine or dopamine. Luvox CR, or Fluvoxamine, has fewer adverse effects than tricyclic antidepressants (Ambardar,
There are still several options for treatment that you must choose from, as well as having to deal with side effects that accompany each treatment. Of all the treatments, antidepressants tend to have the most side effects. Some of the side effects common to all three types of antidepressants are: anxiety, vomiting, confusion, chest pain, blurred vision, irritability, insomnia, sexual dysfunction, weight gain, headache, and nervousness (Cheung et al. 2003, Vanderkooy et al. 2002). Some other, more severe, side effects are difficulty urinating, decreased appetite, heart complications, and suicide (Simon and Stern 2003 - Review). It is the last side effect, suicide, which has recently caused some controversy within the medical field. With recent research showing a correlation between antidepressants and suicide, as well as the FDA ordering warning labels for suicide on antidepressant medication, physicians have to be careful prescribing the drugs, especially to children and adolescents.
They are usually preferred over other antidepressants as they cause fewer side effects. Fluoxetine is probably the best-known SSRI (Prozac).
The lead researcher, Seena Fazel, stated that “it was possible that young people taking lower doses of antidepressants were not being ‘fully treated’ for their mental disorder, leaving them more likely to engage in impulsive behavior” (Kelland para 9). He also noted that there should be more warnings about the possibility of increased violence while on the SSRIs medication. Finally, in a study done at the University of Adelaide in Australia, researchers reviewed the raw data from the drug companies and found that “the effect of the drug was no different than a placebo and that there was an increase in harms among study participants, the most alarming of which was an increase in suicidal thoughts and behavior” (Cha para 5). After closely analyzing, each study and their results, and I believe that it could be concluded that antidepressant may be indeed causing more harm to the people who use them than
In 2005 the Center of Disease Control and Prevention 's (CDC’s) National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) tracked Americans using antidepressants for three years. The study concluded in 2008 that more than 1 in 10 Americans ages 12 and older have used an antidepressant drug. This study comes in the wake of a heated debate in the media about the effectiveness of antidepressants treating depression. Last year, antidepressants were the second most commonly prescribed medication, right behind drugs directed to lower cholesterol. With so many people in the United States relying on these drugs, it is easy to question if they are just expensive, overused placebos.
Some of the most common antidepressants include Prozac, Celexa, Zoloft, Paxil, Remeron and Effexor, these come capsules or tablets, studies show that the effects of these drugs can include: Nervousness and anxiety, Insomnia, Irritability, Violent thoughts and actions, Agitation, Hostility, Suicidal thoughts or suicide, Tremors, Irregular heartbeat, Aggression, Confusion and incoherent thoughts, Paranoia, Hallucinations, Psychosis,
The common denominator in the treatment of all of these conditions is antidepressant medications. The first classification of drugs that doctors usually use are SSRIs, or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor. The way they work is not completely known, but it is thought that they limit the reabsorption of serotonin into the presynaptic cell which increases the extracellular level of the serotonin. They are used for symptoms of moderate to severe depression, but are shown to be more effective in more severe cases. They are also known to have fewer side effects than other classifications of antidepressants. The list includes fatigue, dry mouth,
105). The other more recent treatment for generalized anxiety disorder is selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).This type of medication became popular due to its ability to regulate serotonin. Also, another reason SSRIs became so popular is because it works for other disorders such as obsessive compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, panic attacks, and agoraphobia in lowering symptoms by as much as 80% in over 50% of people taking the medication (Anxiety Disorders; Treatment).
According to the National Center for Health Statistics, antidepressants, are the most commonly prescribed medications in America where about one of ten Americans are prescribed to them. Dr. Joseph Glenmullen, a Harvard catalyst reports on the safety of these highly prescribed antidepressant drugs popularly known as: Paxil, Prozac, Luvoz, Zoloft, and Celexa; saying these drugs can be very dangerous when taken in
In a world where the population struggles with worries of life, many men, women, and children struggle with depression; however, new studies are showing that treating the disorder with antidepressants can do more harm than good. In 1990, millions of people used Prozac, a SSRI (a type of antidepressant defined later) to treat their mental disorders (Kent). Now, with suicide the third leading cause of death among fifteen to twenty-four year olds, the numbers are skyrocketing impossibly more (Williams). Depression percentages in teens are growing at an alarming rate also, in 2012 an amazing 28.5 percent of them claiming to be depressed. Even more worrying, not only depression numbers have increased. In the
The newest medications used to suppress depression are collectively known as selective serotonin inhibitors (SSRIs). These drugs work by altering the