Health from A to Z

Antidepressants – when and how are they used?

Antidepressants are medications that can help alleviate symptoms of depression, social anxiety, anxiety disorder, seasonal affective disorder, and dysthymia.

The “ideal” antidepressant should have the following characteristics: rapid onset of action, simple dosing, safety of use for all adult groups, an acceptable profile of side effects, an acceptable interaction profile, safety in case of overdose, and a reasonable price.

Depression and Antidepressants

The increased prescription of antidepressants is associated with a reduction in suicide rates.

Depression leads to great suffering for the patient, poor functioning in the family, at work, or at school, and can occur at any age. Three-quarters of people think about suicide, and about 10% do it. This makes depression a deadly disease. The increased prescription of antidepressants is associated with a reduction in suicide rates.

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About 50% of depressed patients remain undiagnosed. Of the patients prescribed antidepressants, only 50% take them as prescribed. The degree of adherence to prescribed therapy is low, which is why the desired effect cannot be achieved. The negative attitude towards antidepressant therapy is often a reflection of ignorance and lack of knowledge.

The desired effect, if taken correctly, is achieved with two to eight weeks of therapy with the appropriate dose. Also, genetic variations and the possibility of genotyping, i.e., determining the genome and constant adaptation of therapy, should be considered. After achieving remission (withdrawal of symptoms), it is important to prevent a new relapse or recurrence by applying a maintenance dose.

Use of Antidepressants Antidepressants are very effective in eliminating compulsive-obsessive thoughts and compulsive activities, where they have an anti-anxiety effect; Antidepressants have an anti-panic effect and eliminate attacks of anxiety or panic attacks; In people with panic disorders, the psychophysiological alarm system in the brain, which warns of danger, is dysfunctional and hypersensitive, and antidepressants lead to its stabilization and regulation; In cases of already developed dependence, benzodiazepines are combined with antidepressants to facilitate weaning from benzodiazepines. In that case, antidepressants are the first choice of drug in the treatment of anxiety, acute or chronic; Antidepressants gradually alleviate anxiety, with therapy lasting from two to eight weeks; Certain antidepressants perform a hypnotic effect and deepen sleep by increasing the prevalence of deep sleep phases; They suppress appetite and are used in the treatment of bulimia and obesity; Some antidepressants increase appetite and are used in therapy for reduced appetite and intensive weight loss; They are attributed analgesic effects and are used to alleviate and eliminate some acute and chronic painful syndromes; In addition to the central nervous system, antidepressants can have an inhibitory effect on the activation of platelets, a cardioprotective effect, and an immunomodulatory effect; Side effects nausea, increased appetite and weight gain, loss of libido and sexual problems, e.g., erection problems in men, etc., fatigue and drowsiness, insomnia, dry mouth, blurred vision, constipation, Dizziness, agitation, irritability, anxiety,

A person who has overdosed or poisoned with antidepressants may have mild or serious symptoms. Without treatment, severe symptoms can be fatal.

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