What are antidepressants?

Antidepressants are a commonly prescribed medicine for people with depression or other mental conditions. They ease symptoms like low mood and fatigue. They can also be prescribed for people with PTSD or eating disorders. However, the main diagnosis is depression with this prescription. This is a mental health condition that makes you feel beyond sad; it can affect your mood, energy, and thoughts.

A lot of times, when Antidepressants are prescribed, they also recommend seeing a therapist to get to the root cause of the depression. Due to the medication acting as a mask for all of your symptoms. Antidepressants are one of the most commonly prescribed medications in the US.

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/9301-antidepressants-depression-medication

What conditions do they help treat?

• Bipolar disorder
• Bulimia nervosa
• Chronic pain
• Depression
• Generalized anxiety disorder and social anxiety disorder
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder
• Panic disorder
• Post-traumatic stress disorder

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/9301-antidepressants-depression-medication

How do they work?

Antidepressants work by changing the way your brain uses certain chemicals called neurotransmitters to help regulate things like your mood and emotions. They are also able to rewire your brain through a process called Neuroplasticity, which causes your brain to form new connections with different nerve cells. The medicine increases neurotransmitters like serotonin and noradrenaline. These are chemicals within the brain that affect your mood and emotions. Increasing levels of neurotransmitters can also disrupt pain signals sent by nerves.

SSRI’s

Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors are a common antidepressant that treats OCD and anxiety specifically. This is the most commonly prescribed antidepressant.

Serotonin is one of the many chemical transmitters with in the brain called neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters carry signals through nerve cells, known as neurons, within the brain. After carrying signals through the brain, serotonin is normally reabsorbed by the cells. However, SSRIs stop this process; they are called selective because they mainly affect serotonin, not other neurotransmitters. Blocking reuptake makes more serotonin available to help pass messages between brain cells. Many different SSRI differ in the amount of serotonin that they block, depending on the levels needed.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/depression/in-depth/ssris/art-20044825

Side effects

Many side effects go away after the first couple of weeks of treatment, but many don’t have side effects. Common ones are upset stomach, vomiting, sweating, headache, sleepiness, and shakiness. It can also cause weight loss or weight gain. Some can be avoided by making sure to eat when you take your medicine.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/depression/in-depth/ssris/art-20044825

Safety issues

This medication is generally safe, but it does come with its risks. One is Catalopram, which can cause dangerous irregular heart rhythms if the dosage is too high. SSRIs can have an effect on other medications, either blocking another medication or having a dangerous combination with them. As well as Serotonin Syndrome, which often occurs when two medicines that raise serotonin levels are combined. Some symptoms can include anxiety, high fever, lack of coordination, major changes in blood pressure, and a fast heartbeat beats but this is rare.

https://www.nhsinform.scot/tests-and-treatments/medicines-and-medical-aids/types-of-medicine/antidepressants/#:~:text=Antidepressants%20are%20thought%20to%20work,pain%20signals%20sent%20by%20nerves.