There is new reason to be cautious about using popular antidepressants in people who are not really depressed. For the first time, research has shown that a widely used antidepressant may cause subtle changes in brain structure and function when taken by those who are not depressed.
Most antidepressants boost mood and reduce depression symptoms by elevating serotonin levels in the brain. Although this is beneficial for someone who's depressed, for someone who does not have depression, taking antidepressant medication can cause serotonin to build up in the body, resulting in serotonin syndrome.
Taking antidepressants may help to lift your mood. This can help you feel more able to do things that don't feel possible while you're depressed. This may include using other types of support for your mental health.
Some believe it is unlikely that antidepressants cause any permanent changes to brain chemistry in the long term. The evidence seems to indicate that these medications cause brain changes that only persist while the medication is being taken or in the weeks following withdrawal.
Most antidepressants are generally safe, but the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires that all antidepressants carry black box warnings, the strictest warnings for prescriptions.
Avoid driving or operating machinery. Avoid caffeine, tobacco and alcohol. Drink plenty of fluids. Take your antidepressant at bedtime if your doctor approves.
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
SSRIs are a type of medication people may use as a treatment for depression. People may also use SSRIs to treat mental health conditions that can cause intrusive thoughts, such as: OCD.
They also report they can let go of negative thought patterns more easily and they feel less haunted by past traumatic events. People taking antidepressants may have more energy, may sleep better and may concentrate better. Antidepressants are also effective for reducing panic attacks, general worries, and anxiety.
Psychiatrists suggest staying on the drug for six months to a year after you feel better. Your response should be checked regularly – at three weeks and then again at three to six monthly intervals. Doctors can sometimes confuse withdrawal symptoms with a return of depression, and restart the drug.
“It appears that SSRI antidepressants rewire areas of the brain that are important for thinking and feeling, as well as operating the autonomic nervous system,” said Koliatsos. Axons are long, filament-shaped extensions of neurons that, together with myelin, are the main constituents of nerves.
It can take a while for people to adjust to a new antidepressant and sometimes side effects can disrupt everyday life. Getting up to go to work each day can feel impossible. Several people we interviewed had sleep problems in the first few weeks and found it difficult to think or concentrate.
Weight gain is a possible side effect of nearly all antidepressants. However, each person responds to antidepressants differently. Some people gain weight when taking a certain antidepressant, while others don't.
In the case of SSRIs, SNRIs, and related medications, the effects of taking antidepressants when not depressed can include developing a condition known as serotonin syndrome. Symptoms of this condition include the following: Confusion. Agitation.
1 Day – On the first day of taking an antidepressant medication, most people will feel nothing at all. Some will notice side effects like nausea or vomiting that could be mild. 1 Week – One week in, people are more likely to note some other side effects like sleeping problems, diarrhea, dry mouth, and sexual problems.
Antidepressants may work best for moderate to severe depression. Antidepressants seem to work well for many people with depression — especially if you have moderate to severe symptoms.
Antidepressants balance neurotransmitters in your brain. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, commonly known as SSRIs, do this by balancing the serum serotonin levels to help your brain regulate your moods. While they're called antidepressants, most offer benefits in the treatment of anxiety, as well.
In addition, medications originally designed for depression, the SSRIs (Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft, Lexapro, Effexor, Cymbalta, and others), are also capable of lowering the underlying level of anxiety which takes a lot of steam out of this phenomenon.
Expert: "It looks like a lot of what gives people relief is that they're feeling whatever the opposite of neuroticism is." (Health.com) -- People who take antidepressants such as Paxil often say they feel less stressed and more outgoing, lively, and confident.
Intrusive thoughts are often triggered by stress or anxiety. They may also be a short-term problem brought on by biological factors, such as hormone shifts. For example, a woman might experience an uptick in intrusive thoughts after the birth of a child.
If you have anxiety, medication can help because the medicines used for anxiety alter the chemicals in your body and brain, reducing symptoms, and often helping you calm down and focus on other things.
SSRIs are usually the first choice medicine for depression because they generally have fewer side effects than most other types of antidepressant. As well as depression, SSRIs can be used to treat a number of other mental health conditions, including: generalised anxiety disorder (GAD)
Grapefruit and other citrus fruits can have harmful long-term effects on your body when taken with certain medications. This is likely because fruits like grapefruit inhibit how you metabolize certain drugs.