Treatment Via Antidepressants
The term ‘Antidepressants’ is inclusive of all the techniques that are used to lighten the mood. In other words psychotherapy, electro convulsions, acupuncture, increased light levels and even regular exercise can be categorized as antidepressants. But, antidepressants in tabular form are often referred to those medications that are used to relieve depression. A lesser known fact is that apart from depression these medicines are also used to reduce chronic pain, eating and anxiety disorders.
Antidepressants were first discovered in the year 1950. Since then many new types of the drug were introduced in the market and currently there are 30 different types of antidepressants that can be broadly divided into four groups.
Working of antidepressants
There are certain chemicals in the brain associated with depression. To be precise these chemicals are serotonin and noradreline. When the activity of these chemicals is reduced they bring about a reduction in the activity of neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters are responsible for the communication of one cell to the other. Antidepressants work by increasing the activity of these two chemicals in the brain subsequently activating neurotransmitters and thereby reducing depression.
Efficacy of anti depressants
50 to 65% of the people are relieved of symptoms in a period of three months. 25-30% of the people are relieved of symptoms when given a placebo. It is hard to believe but quite a few show signs of improvement when given a dummy pill or placebo. Even anti depressants work partly by the placebo effect.
Effective treatment using anti depressants
For best results depression has to be combated using a combination of different strategies. Medication is successful if the sufferer is able to get rid of at least 50% of the symptoms. The drug is extremely effective if the patient is able to alleviate all the symptoms.
Side effects of anti depressants
- SSRIs have the side effect of nausea, diarrhea, headache and sexual dysfunction. Some sufferers of depression report to have suicidal thoughts upon taking these drugs. SSRIs are therefore not prescribed for people below 18. However suicidal thoughts do not actually lead to the commitment of the act or self harm. Nevertheless people on SSRIs have to be closely monitored.
- Tricyclic antidepressants give rise to dry mouth, blurred vision, drowsiness and sexual dysfunction.
- MAOIs have dangerous but rare side effects and these include liver and heart problem and seizures. These medicines are extremely harmful and raise the blood pressure levels if food containing a substance called tyramine is eaten. MAOIs are rarely prescribed these days.
Tolerance and dependency on drugs
Most sufferers of depression are treated for a long period. Treatment often lasts for a number of years. If the treatment goes on for years the patient might develop a resistance to the drug. The very same drug to be effective will then have to be used in higher doses.
Dependency on the drug occurs when the sufferer cannot manage without the medication. SSRIs top the list of drugs that create dependency. Apart from dependency antidepressant medications have withdrawal symptoms too and these symptoms are especially strong if the medication is stopped abruptly. A word of clarification is necessary here. Dependency and addiction are totally different terms. No medicine is addictive like drugs or even like nicotine or caffeine.