SSRI Antidepressants Information

Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI) or Serotonin-Specific Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI), is a class of antidepressant drugs used to treat depression and other psychological disorders like anxiety and panic attacks. SSRI antidepressant drugs are one of the modern drugs to treat depression that are popularly used today. Antidepressant drugs are commonly used along with psychotherapy to treat depression.

How SSRI Antidepressants Work

The human brain contains certain chemicals, known as neurotransmitters, which are responsible for change of mood. Serotonin is one such neurotransmitter (chemical) that is believed to cause depression in human beings as excess absorption or uptake of serotonin leads to depression. SSRI antidepressants reduce or inhibit the re-uptake of serotonin in the brain. This results in increased serotonin levels which consequently improves a person's mood. One of the most important things to note is that antidepressants drugs are not meant to make sad people happy or to treat unhappiness in life. It is only used to treat depression as a psychological problem that characterizes the chronic state of inadequacy. Here is the list of SSRIs:

•    Citalopram
•    Escitalopram oxalate
•    Fluvoxamine
•    Paroxetine
•    Fluoxetine
•    Sertraline

The effect of these drugs vary from person to person. In some people, the effect might be positive while others may experience no effect at all. The degree of effectiveness also vary from person to person. It should be noted that it takes a longer time for the drug to work effectively and hence, the course lasts from 3 - 4 weeks to 5 - 6 months. Most of the antidepressant drugs are available only on doctor's prescription. It is advisable to inform the doctor about the immediate effects, ill effects or side effects of antidepressants.

Side Effects

Similar to that of other depression medications, SSRI antidepressant drugs also have their share of side effects. The severity of side effects vary from person to person. The following are the common SSRI antidepressant side effects:

•    Nausea
•    Flu like symptoms
•    Dry mouth
•    Headache
•    Diarrhea
•    Nervousness
•    Abdominal cramps
•    Skin rash
•    Restlessness
•    Increased sweating
•    Insomnia

A large number of people taking SSRI complain of weight gain. Although the exact relation between these antidepressants and weight gain is not known, it is one of the most common side effects of antidepressant drugs. People tend to overeat during depression which also results in weight gain. Secondly, it has been observed that the antidepressants meant for anxiety and depression tend to generate suicidal thoughts in people. This is a debatable issue but with some evidences to prove the claim. This feeling may again vary from one person to the other. However, it cannot be ignored and people taking these antidepressant medications should consult a doctor immediately if they experience agitation, extreme restlessness or suicidal feelings.

Another debatable issue of SSRI antidepressants is that they are addictive. Many people may not agree with this fact, however, similar to many other depression medications, SSRI drugs are also addictive. Therefore, one needs to be careful before taking depression medications. Also, one should not stop these medications abruptly as it can have negative effects on the body. The dosage should be gradually reduced and then stopped, otherwise it can lead to SSRI discontinuation syndrome. Some people also tend to show certain withdrawal symptoms after stopping the use of these medications. Pregnant women should be especially careful about the use of these drugs as they can lead to birth defects in children.

One should note that antidepressant medications should only be taken in consultation with a doctor. If taken for proper reason, and under proper supervision, it can be effective! Take care!

How to Treat Anxiety with Medication

Anxiety is a common disorder that can be observed in people of all age groups. Anxiety can be caused due to various factors like stress, fear of abandonment and other fears, etc. Anxiety can affect the overall health and personality of an individual. There are a few types of medication that are used as anxiety cures and can treat various degrees of anxiety, suited for the different needs of individuals.. These drugs provide temporary relief for anxiety symptoms but fail to treat the underlying cause of anxiety disorder. One can come across a variety of anti anxiety medicines that are available in pharmacies.

Anxiety Medication List

A visit to the nearest pharmacy will reveal a variety of antianxiety drugs like benzodiazepine, clorazepate dipotassium, zoloft, diazepam and alprazolam. Since long term usage of these drugs can lead to addiction, they must be taken only when prescribed by a qualified medical practitioner. Here are a few prescription drugs that can be used to bring down the effect of anxiety disorder:

There are many over-the-counter medications for anxiety like Diphenhydramine (Benadryl) and Proloftin that relieves stress by inducing calmness. Benadryl is also an effective remedy for treating insomnia, loose motions and nausea. It is also used to treat cough and common cold. Proloftin, which is also a vitamin supplement, contains ingredients like Beta Sitosterol, Theanine, Phosphatidylserine and magnolia bark that act as effective stress busters and also replenishes vitamin B that helps in fighting against strain. Other over the counter anxiety drugs that do not need any prescription are a multipurpose herb called Valerian, chamomile, that is quite well-known as an antianxiety herb and Passiflora Incarnata (passion flower) that is a natural remedy for anxiety that is used to cure insomnia and induce sleep.

Even children tend to suffer from bouts of anxiety at times. Children who have anxiety disorders show symptoms like inability to concentrate, reluctance to go to school, depression and lack of confidence. In such a case, there are several anxiety drugs for children like Tricyclic Antidepressants (TCAs), which are used as a long term treatment for curing anxiety, benzodiazepines that provide quick relief and Mono-Amine Oxidase Inhibitors (MAOIs) that are effective in treating depression.

Many people are quite conscious about weight gain. There is also a popular myth that anxiety drugs can cause excessive weight gain. But here's a good news that puts such fads to rest with the availability of anxiety medication that does not cause weight gain like Buspirone, Lorazepam, Clonazepam, which is derived from benzodiazepines, and Paroxetine hydrochloride. These drugs not only help in relieving anxiety but also don't lead to weight gain.

Anxiety Drugs: Side Effects

Antianxiety drugs are helpful in relieving stress and calming the nerves. This medication can help alleviate the sufferings. Apart from these advantages, there are also a few side effects of caused due to an overdose. These side effects vary according to the individual, the type of drug and the dosage. At times, the side effects can also lead to unpleasant and dangerous complications. A few side effects of anxiety drugs are listed below:

•    One of the common effects of overuse of medication is the feeling of drowsiness, fatigue and confusion.

•    Some individuals also experience excessive sweating, extreme weakness, abnormal sensations like tingling and numbness in the limbs and muscle pain.

•    Taking benzodiazepines can cause sleep disorders like hallucinations and nightmares. Panic attacks, especially during the night, are a result of depression medication.

•    Serotonin reuptake inhibitors can lead to mild nausea followed by vomiting, diarrhea, headaches and elevation of blood pressure, as a result of drug interactions.

•    Some other side effects are dizziness, difficulty in breathing, sedation, irritability and speech disorder.

Never opt for self medication when taking antianxiety drugs. It is necessary to analyze the benefits and drawbacks before deciding if it is the appropriate medication. It is always advisable to take anxiety medication under the guidance of a health care provider. A change in lifestyle, adequate sleep and a healthy diet can help keep anxiety at bay.

Depression Treatment with Medication

Depression is a state of mind, characterized by constant feeling of dread, worry and withdrawal from any activity. Depressed persons have acute mood swings, dominated by sadness. A six year old child to a sixty year old man, both are as likely to suffer from depression. Unfortunately, symptoms of depression often go unnoticed. There are a few tests with which the level of depression and existence of depression can be assessed. Also, there are many different ways of dealing with depression and coming out of it.

Acute cases of depression need to be treated with proper and timely medication. Low level of enthusiasm can be changed into vigor with antidepressants. Please consult your psychiatrist before taking any medicines from the following list of antidepressants.

Sertraline Hydrochloride

Sertraline hydrochloride is also known as Zoloft of the SSRI class. Being a part of the depression medication list, Zoloft is used to cure major depression, panic, social anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorder. The medication is prescribed both for adults and children.


Mirtazapine

Mirtazapine has a generic name of Remeron. This psycoactive drug is primarily an antidepressant. How it helps is not known yet, but surely increases the noradrenaline and serotonin levels in the brain. The drug is also used as anxiolytic, hypnotic and antiemetic.

Venlafaxine

Venlafaxine is also known as Effexor, used for the treatment of major depression disorders and generalized anxiety disorder.

Depression Medication Side Effects

Also known as antidepressants, and as the name suggests, these drugs are prescribed to treat symptoms which are associated with a person's mental health. In short, they help in dealing with the patient's mood disorders. They may also be regarded as mood-stabilizing drugs. Common medical disorders which are treated with antidepressants include chronic depression, severe anxiety and panic attacks, disorders related to eating or feeding, obsessive compulsive disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, bed-wetting, social anxiety disorder, agitation, manic-depressive disorders, and chronic pain. While these drugs have their own advantages of dealing with the symptoms of all such conditions, they also have their share of unpleasant and, in some cases, severely intolerable side effects.

Potential Side Effects of Antidepressants

The intensity or the severity of the side effects of antidepressants may vary from person to person. They include:

•    Anxiety

•    Blurred vision could be a side effect post using the medication

•    Digestive disorder such as constipation and diarrhea may also occur as one of the common side effects of depression pills

•    For women, one of the side effects may manifest itself in the form of an inability to achieve orgasm

•    Headache, which may be sometimes accompanied by nausea

•    Increased agitation for no apparent reason.

•    Pain in the abdominal region

•    Sedation could be a serious side effect

•    Sleep disorders

•    The patient may have urinary retention

•    The person may experience the symptom of dry mouth

•    Unintended weight gain

•    Fatigue, drowsiness, restlessness, etc., are the other side effects

List of Depression Medications

1. Sertraline Hydrochloride

Sertraline hydrochloride is also known as Zoloft of the SSRI class. Being a part of the depression medication list, Zoloft is used to cure major depression, panic, social anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorder. The medication is prescribed both for adults and children.

2. Citalopram

It is one of the major antidepressants used for treating manic depression levels. It also helps to treat low impulse control, eating disorders and anxiety attacks. The generic name of this drug is Celexa and works by preventing the uptake of serotonin by the nerve cells, once it has been released and stimulates the nerve cells of the brain. The dose is raised from 20 mg to 40 mg and in worst cases increased to 60 mg a day.

3. Escitalopram

The trade name of Escitalopram is Lexapro. Lexapro is meant for selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor section of people. The FDA has prescribed this medication for major depression as well as generalized anxiety disorder.

4. Paroxetine

Paroxetine is also known as Paxil in the U.S. and Seroxat in UK. Paroxetine is meant for the SSRI class, but is also meant for the treatment of major depression, panic attacks, social anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorders and generalized anxiety disorders.

5. Desyrel

This is also one of the most prescribed depression medicine that is used for the treatment of clinical depression. It directly increases the levels of serotonin. The major neurotransmitters are acetylcholine, norepinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin. Any imbalance among these different neurotransmitters is the primary cause of depression.

6. Venlafaxine

Venlafaxine is also known as Effexor, used for the treatment of major depression disorders and generalized anxiety disorder.

7. Amitriptyline
Antidepressants list includes Amitriptyline or Elavil, a psychoactive drug. Available as tablets, compound of this medicine is white and crystalline form. This medicine is prescribed, in small amounts of 25 mg, for inducing sleep.

Meditation Techniques for Stress Relief

Stress can be termed as a condition of extreme physical and emotional strain. It is usually characterized by a stage of alarm, where the production of the adrenaline hormone is increased to prepare the body to respond to such a situation. Adrenaline and other stress hormones increase the heart rate, breathing rate, blood pressure and metabolism, and thereby prepare the body to cope with stress. However, this state of heightened excitement cannot be maintained for a long time and therefore, when all the resources of the body are depleted, the person usually feels exhausted. This natural process of handling stress is known as stress response. An over activation of this natural process can exhaust an individual and give rise to problems like headache, insomnia, inability to concentrate, irritability, depression, etc.

Ways to Get Rid of Stress

The way an individual copes with stress depends on a number of factors like nutritional status, overall health and fitness, emotional well-being, and the amount of sleep and rest. That means a healthy individual can cope with stress in a better way than a mentally and physically weak individual. De-stressing methods at work can include simple exercises like deep breathing. Yoga and meditation, muscle relaxation, and other types of exercises are also an excellent way to strengthen your body and mind so that they can overcome stressful situations.

Deep Breathing

Deep breathing exercises are simple and also easy to learn. Another advantage of deep breathing is that you can practice it anywhere, at home or work. Sit down on a comfortable position keeping your back, shoulder and neck straight. Then breath deeply, inhaling as much air as possible through the nose, followed by a forceful exhalation through the mouth. Breathing deeply from the stomach allows us to draw comparatively more oxygen than usual breathing, which can cut down the level of tension and stress.

Muscle Relaxation

Muscle relaxation is another way to relax your body and mind. Muscle relaxation can be done either by sitting or lying down in a comfortable position. You can take deep breaths for few minutes to prepare your body and then start with your right foot. Focus your attention on your right foot and squeeze it tightly for few seconds. Then relax this foot and shift your attention to the other foot, i.e. the left foot. Squeeze your left foot similarly and hold on for a few seconds before relaxing. In this way, slowly work on the other parts of the body. Usually, muscle relaxation is started on the right foot, followed by the left foot and then moving progressively upwards to the face. The usual sequence of this exercise is right foot, left foot, right calf, left calf, right thigh, left thigh, hips and buttocks, stomach, chest, back, right arm and hand, left arm and hand, neck, shoulder and finally the face.

Yoga and Meditation

Yoga and meditation are perhaps one of the ancients methods of reducing stress. They are an integral part of Hindu discipline and basically aim at promoting mental and physical well-being. Yoga is an effective way to restore mental and emotional stability by bringing about a synchronization of body, mind, and spirit. There are several types of yoga like hatha, kundalini, asthanga, etc. A beginner should start with a simple yoga exercise and then move gradually to the more complex ones. Along with deep breathing, it can effectively manage the level of stress and anxiety.

Exercises
Exercises are always considered as a subject matter of physical fitness and health. However, they can prove quite beneficial in relieving stress and anxiety too. This is because a healthy individual can always cope with stress easily. It has been found that stretching exercises can lower the level of stress hormones and thereby control stress and anxiety. Aerobic exercises are also great for increasing the heart rate and relieving stress. Even activities like walking, cycling, jogging or playing games can help an individual to manage stress and anxiety.

However, the most crucial point in stress management is to identify the factors that causes stress. It is not as easy as it sounds, as in many instances they are either not obvious or we simply ignore them as trifles. Secondly, eating a healthy, balanced diet and getting adequate sleep are also of vital importance in stress management. Apart from these, one should abstain from using unhealthy ways to reduce stress, such as smoking, drinking excessive alcohol, drug abuse, etc. in order to avoid more serious complications. The best way is to maintain a regular schedule to practice these stress relief techniques or any activity that appeals you to manage the level of stress.

Treatment of Depression and Anxiety with Medication

Although anxiety and depression are considered to be two distinct disorders in the world of mental health, most people who suffer from depression also experience anxiety and vice versa. Symptoms of depression include a feeling of low self-esteem, loss of interest, sadness and pessimism. An individual suffering from anxiety is plagued with excessive worry, restlessness and irritability that stems from the unrealistic view of problems that one has. The co-existence of these two mental conditions have led researchers to conclude that anxiety and depression aren't different disorders but two faces of the same coin. Hence, the treatments that reduce anxiety also fight depression. Here are a few ways of dealing with anxiety and depression.

Various Treatment Options for Anxiety and Depression

Psychotherapy

Cognitive Therapy: Through this therapy a mental health professional asks the patients to think of the feelings that triggered anxiety and depression in them. Patients are then encouraged to alter these thoughts and feelings so that they can have a realistic view of situations and deal with them in a more calm way.

Behavioral Therapy: In this therapy, patients are asked to face the fear that provoked anxiety and depression in them. By confronting their fears, patients are able to come out of the panic that they may feel due to the situation. This therapy desensitizes a patient towards the fear before such a reaction, and helps him in dealing with anxiety and panic attacks.

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy: As the name suggests, this therapy makes use of both the above mentioned therapies and has been found to be very useful in dealing with anxiety attacks and depression. It is a form of psychotherapy in which the dysfunctional emotions, thoughts, and behavior are modified, which treats the problem and boosts confidence. This is effective for panic attack treatment.

Medication

Zoloft Drugs: Medicines are often prescribed for patients who are being treated for anxiety and depression as a part of the healing process. These medicines are not the cure, but they help in alleviating depression and anxiety symptoms. Antidepressants are prescribed to patients suffering from mild to severe depression. These can also be used to treat anxiety. Other than these, medications like beta blockers and SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) are also given to those suffering from anxiety and depression.

A generic version of Zoloft is now available. It is available as Sertraline tablets, which come in three different strengths. Sertraline is also available in a liquid form. Although the active ingredient in generic Zoloft is the same as the brand-name version, the inactive ingredients may vary, which may cause problems for people with certain allergies or sensitivities.

Herbal Remedies: Herbs like Gingko biloba, St. John's wort, ginseng, garlic, and basil are some herbs that provide natural remedies for depression and anxiety. Although most of these are free from any side effects, the natural compounds present in some herbal medicines may interfere with antidepressants if taken with them.

Complimentary Treatment Options

Exercise: Studies have shown that those who exercise regularly are less prone to suffering from depression. They are also bettered equipped to deal with anxiety and panic attacks. When on exercise, the body releases chemicals called endorphins that reduces the sensation of pain and induces a positive feeling. Just 30 minutes of exercise 3 to 5 times a week works as an effective anxiety reliever.

Relaxation: Deep breathing, meditation, muscle relaxation, controlled breathing, and visualization are some of the relaxation techniques, that if practiced regularly can relieve anxiety and foster emotional well-being. Many of these techniques are being used in organizations to help employees in dealing with anxiety at work.

Hypnotherapy: During hypnosis one is in a relaxed state of mind. During this state, a hypnosis therapist uses different therapeutic measures to help one face his fears and view them in a new perspective. Hypnosis is often used with cognitive-behavioral therapy to treat depression and anxiety.

Alternative Form of Treatment: Alternative therapies like yoga, meditation and acupuncture are also found to be effective natural cures for depression, stress and anxiety. These forms of treatment are based on the premise that overall health of an individual can be improved by ensuring proper flow of energy within the body. Other the other hand, massage therapy, another kind of alternative therapy, aims at working on specific points in the body believed to trigger the release of endorphins - the feel-good chemical.

There are a number of methods to deal with anxiety and depression. Although alternative forms of treatment work to ensure general well-being of mental health, psychotherapy is known to be the best answer for those who are wondering how to deal with anxiety and depression. Medicines and other forms of treatment can be combined with these therapies for better results in dealing with anxiety and depression.