Different Types Of Medicine For Depression

There is no single medicine that will treat depression. Sometimes it is a combination of medications and even psychotherapy that helps persons overcome their depressive state. Different types of medication have different effects on each individual. Fortunately, decades of medical research and development has brought about better ways of diagnosing varied types of depression and made available safer and more effective medicines.

However, depression medications pose some risks. Some may have fewer side effects while others can cause really uncomfortable ones. It is, therefore, important to conduct a thorough research on the types of medicines available and if they will be effective on the type of depression you have. It is of course better to consult your doctor.

All depression medicines are referred to as antidepressants but we can classify these medicines into three main categories. These are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), tricyclics (TCAs), and monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs).

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors or SSRIs are antidepressants that are used to treat depression, anxiety disorders and some personality disorders. This rather popular class of medicine increases the levels of serotonin in the brain and allows this neurotransmitter to be utilized more efficiently.

It has been found out that inefficient and low utilization of serotonin causes depression. The most common side effects of SSRIs are weight gain and sexual dysfunction. Some SSRI anti depressants include Celexa® (citalopram), Paxil® (paroxetine), Lexapro® (escitalopram), Zoloft® (sertraline), and Luvox® (fluvoxamine).

A much stronger antidepressant drug is the Tricyclic antidepressants or TCAs. This class was first used in the 1950s. The drug controls the re-uptake of the neurotransmitters norepinephrine, dopamine, or serotonin by nerve cells. However, even though the medicine has been found to be effective in treating clinical depression, pain, nocturnal enuresis, and ADHD the drug can never be as popular as SSRIs are today. This is because TCAs exhibit very prominent side effects like dry mouth, sexual dysfunction, blurred vision, constipation, bladder problems, and drowsiness. The most common brands of TCAs are Elavil® (amitriptyline), Tofranil® (imipramine), and Anafranil® (clomipramine).

Monoamine oxidase inhibitors or MAOIs are probably the rarest types of anti depressants out there. MAOIs are very effective in treating atypical depression. What the drugs do is it slows down the activity of monoamine oxidase which protects the monoamine neurotransmitters to break down. Unlike the other two classes of antidepressants, MAOIs are highly dangerous. At one point, MAOIs were taken off the market.

Generally, medications will take 4 to 12 weeks to become fully effective. Some drugs, however, will work quicker than some. Also, there are times where you might need to combine antidepressant drugs with other medicines like mood stabilizers or antianxiety drugs. This may prove to be very effective in treating depression. However, you must first ask your doctor on the drugs' possible side effects.

Also, there might be some drugs that don't go well with each other. Some might negate the effects of the other so its best to find help before you purchase any combination of medicines.

The primary concerns of patients are the side effects and potential dangers that antidepressants bring. This is why a number of natural depression medications are slowly having their own following. However, even though most of the natural supplements are not as effective as the actual antidepressants people feel that going natural is a better choice. There are natural antidepressants, nevertheless, which uses substances that proved to be as effective as depression medicines but with fewer side effects.