Depression Medicine Treatments

In addition to psychotherapy, severe depression may also need a medicine treatment in order to be cured. Antidepressants are medicines used in depression treatment that help most people overcome their mental illness.

However, they are not happy pills and do not work wonders on anyone. Even with medication, depression cures gradually and not overnight.

Depression medicine treatments have a lot of benefits, as well as side effects. Choosing a medication treatment in addition to psychotherapy depends not only on how severe the depression is, but also the history of illness, the age of the patient and his personal preferences. For most people, a combination of depression medicine treatment and therapy works best.

There are several types of antidepressants. However, like most medicines, they also have some side effects.

• Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) 
• Tricyclic antidepressants (tricyclics) 
• Others
• Selective Serotonin Reputake Inhibitors (SSRIs)

SSRIs include medicines such as citalopram (brand name:  Celexa), escitalopram (brand name: Lexapro), paroxetine (brand name: Paxil).

Fluoxetine (brand name: Prozac) and sertraline (brand name: Zoloft). SSRIs act only on the neurotransimtter serotonin, while tricyclic and MAO antidepressants act on both serotonin and norepinephrine and may also interract with other chemicals inside your body.

However, they have fewer side effects than other depression medicine treatments. Some of these side effects are dry mouth, nervousness, nausea, headache, insomnia and sexual problems.

Patients who are taking fluoxetine may feel agitated, those taking paroxetine might have a decreased energy level and those taking setraline may have runny stools and diarrhea.

Tricyclics

This type of depression medicine treatment has been used for a long time. They interract with both serotonin and norepinephrine, another neurotransmitter, as well as with various other chemicals inside your body.

Tricyclics include amitriptyline (brand name: Elavil),   imipramine (brand name: Tofranil), desipramine (brand name: Norpramin) and nortriptyline (brand names: Aventyl, Pamelor).

Among common side effects that these medicines may cause are dry mouth, constipation, blurred vision, difficulty urinating, impaired thinking, worsening of glaucoma and tiredness. They can also affect the patient's blood pressure and heart rate.

Other Antidepressants

There are also other depression medicine types with a different action than SSRIs and tricyclics. The most common are nefazadone, venlafaxine, mirtazapine, bupropion and trazodone. Monoamine ixidase inhibitors (MAOIs) are used less frequently.

Common side effects of taking velanfaxine (brand name: Effexor) may experience include

• loss of appetite,
• nausea,
• anxiety 
• nervousness,
• insomnia,
• headache and tiredness.
• dry mouth,
• weight loss,
• constipation,
• increased blood pressure and high rate,
• increased cholesterol level and sexual problems may also occur.
  

People taking nefazodone (brand name: Serzone) may have

• headaches,
• diziness,
• blurred vision,
• nausea,
• constipation,
• tiredness 
• dry mouth.
  

Bupropion (brand name: Wellbutrin) can sometimes cause

• insomnia,
• headache,
• agitation 
• nausea.

Common side effects of mirtazapine (brand name: Remeron) include

• increased appetite,
• sedation,
• weight gain,
• dizziness 
• dry mouth.

Trazodone (brand name: Desyrel) can also cause

• sedation,
• dry mouth 
• nausea

on some patients. MAOI antidepressants, such as tranylcypromine (brand name: Parnate) and phenelzine (brand name: Nardil) often cause

• dizziness,
• weakness,
• headaches 
• tremor.