Although it can start at any age in life, depression is most frequently identified in the early stages of adulthood. Some antidepressant medications have been shown to be effective in treating depression because it has an impact on the brain. According to the American Psychiatric Association (APA), between 80% and 90% of patients who seek therapy for depression have success.
The first line of therapy for depression is frequently antidepressant medication. Alternative pharmacological choices as well as holistic or therapeutic therapies for depression are available, nevertheless.
While there isn’t always a cure for depression, taking medication may help minimise or relieve some of the symptoms you may be experiencing, which may have a big impact on your life. Key warning indicators of depression include the following:
- Irritability
- Feelings of hopelessness
- Insomnia
- Sleeping excessively
- Weight gain or loss
- Having a short temper or reacting quickly
- Persistent and often uncontrollable thoughts about bad things happening
- An inability or lack of motivation to take care of yourself
- Feeling unable to carry out your daily responsibilities
- Psychotic symptoms in extreme cases — including hallucinations or delusions
- Thoughts of death, self-harm, or suicidal thoughts
Severe depression is when depressive symptoms last for more than a few weeks or start to significantly affect your ability to operate.
Learn more about your alternatives if you’re seeking the finest depression medicine. An offline or online psychiatrist may prescribe one of several different forms of antidepressants. The initial stages involve receiving the appropriate diagnosis, learning how to obtain depression medication, and deciding whether or not you should even consider it in the first place. Read on to discover more.
Types of medications used to treat depression
There are several treatment resistant depression medications that might be used to treat your illness. Prior to starting any antidepressant medication, it was critical to understand how it works and how it might assist.
SSRIs
Antidepressants in the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) family are frequently given to treat depression. In fact, they’re the antidepressant medicine used to treat depression that is most frequently given.
Lowering serotonin reuptake in the brain is how SSRIs function. Serotonin absorption can be decreased to improve the neurotransmitter’s performance in the brain since serotonin imbalance is thought to be a probable cause of depression.
Popular SSRIs to treat mild or severe depression include:
- Celexa (citalopram)
- Lexapro (escitalopram)
- Luvox (fluvoxamine)
- Paxil/Pexeva/Brisdelle (paroxetine)
- Prozac/Sarafem (fluoxetine)
- Zoloft (sertraline)
Possible side effects of SSRIs to treat severe or mild depression:
- Agitation
- Feeling shaky or anxious
- Indigestion
- Diarrhea or constipation
- Blurred vision
- Loss of appetite
- Weight loss
- Dizziness
- Sexual Side Effects
SNRIs
Norepinephrine and serotonin levels in the brain are raised by serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), which can lessen depressive symptoms. Because SSRIs only increase serotonin levels, SNRIs also increase modest amounts of norepinephrine and other neurotransmitters.
Popular SNRIs to treat depression include:
- Cymbalta (duloxetine)
- Effexor XR (venlafaxine)
- Fetzima (levomilnacipran)
- Pristiq, Khedezla (desvenlafaxine)
Possible side effects of SNRIs to treat depression:
- Dry mouth
- Nausea
- Headache
- Dizziness
- Excessive sweating
TCAs
Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) are a well-established class of antidepressant drugs. The mechanism by which TCAs alleviate depression is not well known. They are believed to be beneficial because they increase levels of the neurotransmitters serotonin and norepinephrine while blocking the action of acetylcholine, thus restoring the balance in the brain and lowering depressive symptoms.
Popular TCAs to treat depression include:
- Amitriptyline
- Amoxapine
- Anafranil (clomipramine)
- Doxepin
- Norpramin (desipramine)
- Pamelor (nortriptyline)
- Protriptyline
- Surmontil (trimipramine)
- Tofranil (imipramine)
Possible side effects of TCAs to treat depression:
- Slightly blurred vision
- Dry mouth
- Constipation
- Dizziness
- Drowsiness
- Weight gain
- Difficulty urinating
- Excessive sweating (particularly at night)
Dopamine reuptake blocker
Norepinephrine-dopamine reuptake inhibitors are another kind of antidepressant. It functions by preventing the absorption of dopamine and noradrenaline (NA) presynaptically (DA). Dopamine reuptake blockers tend not to induce some of the negative side effects (such as weight gain and reduced sexual desire) that are typical of other antidepressants, which is one benefit of this medicine.
Possible side effects of dopamine reuptake blockers to treat depression:
- Nausea
- Insomnia
- Weight loss
- Headache
- Constipation
- Anxiety
Possible side effects of maprotiline to treat depression
- Drowsiness
- Nausea
- Nightmares
- Weaknesses
- Tiredness
- Sensitivity to sunlight
- Dry mouth
- Constipation
- Change in appetite
- Weight change
How to get depression medication
Thinking about using a depression pill? You should consult your doctor as soon as possible. They can assist you in developing the best treatment plan so you can learn to control your depression.
The following actions must be done in order to obtain depression medication:
Get a diagnosis
To diagnose you, a psychological and physical examination as well as blood tests are necessary. A mental health professional is likely to follow the American Psychiatric Association’s (APA) criteria for depression, which are included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5).
Begin therapy or treatment
Therapy can help you manage depression. There are different types of treatments for depression, among them spravato treatment is most famous treatment for treating depression.
Consider medication
Medication can be prescribed in addition to treating your depression.
Talk to your prescriber
A psychiatrist can help prescribe you the right medication for depression.
Should you treat depression with medication?
The decision to use medicine to treat your depression is highly personal, but it is frequently necessary to stop the symptoms from getting worse and to avoid problems. It’s crucial to know as much as you can about the drug you’ll be taking before taking it, whether it’s for a mental health problem or any other health condition.
Your doctor or psychiatrist may go through all of your available therapy choices with you as well as any potential depression medications in detail.
