More and more people are taking antidepressants, although many people are also reluctant to consume them and the side effects they can cause. It is therefore important to understand the types of antidepressants there are and the way each one works since each one takes a different time to produce the primary effects and has a different result depending on the person.
Keep reading Psychology-Online so you can know when, how and why antidepressants work. We will explain how to know if antidepressant worksto learn to detect when taking an antidepressant is working for you and when it is not, so that you can provide your psychiatrist with more accurate information during check-ups so that they can more accurately assess whether an antidepressant and a certain dose are appropriate. for you.
The exact mechanism and functions will be different for each specific drug. For this reason, in order to know if an antidepressant works, we will first look at the different types of antidepressants:
SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors)
It is the most commonly prescribed and is usually the one that psychiatrists begin to try on new patients since they are the ones that, in principle, produce the least side effects. Some examples of these as well as brand names are fluoxetine (Prozac), paroxetine (Paxil, Pexeva), sertraline (Zoloft), citalopram (Celexa) and escitalopram (Lexapro).
These antidepressants work preventing excess serotonin from being captured. This is a substance that allows us to have positive emotions, so if we prevent its reuptake, we will facilitate its transmission between brain cells (neurons). In this article we explain.
SNRIs (Serotonin and Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors)
Some examples of this type of antidepressant are duloxetine (Cymbalta), venlafaxine (Effexor XR), desvenlafaxine (Pristiq), and levomilnacipran (Fetzima).
As in the previous case, these antidepressants facilitate the transmission of serotonin and norepinephrine between neurons by preventing its reuptake. The more they circulate, the better we feel. In this article you can see.
Atypical antidepressants
Some of the most commercially available are trazodone, mirtazapine (Remeron), vortioxetine (Trintellix), vilazodone (Viibryd), and bupropion (Wellbutrin SR, Wellbutrin XL).
Tricyclic antidepressants
They usually cause many side effects and are the oldest. These are prescribed only if the others have not been shown to be effective in the patient. Some examples are imipramine (Tofranil), notriptyline (Pamelor), amitriptyline, doxepin, and desipramine (Nopramin).
They prevent the reuptake of norepinephrine and serotonin but also block some receptors of other amines, which causes all those side effects.
Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs)
Like the previous ones, these are also used as a last resort, as they can cause serious side effects. It is also necessary to follow a restrictive diet in which foods containing thiamine should be avoided since it can cause interaction, as is the case with some cheeses and some wines.
As the name suggests, inhibit the action of the enzyme known as monoaxidase.
“I take antidepressants and I feel worse.” Is this statement that patients sometimes make when starting treatment with psychotropic drugs for depression normal? It is very important that you know the antidepressant effects of the first few days and that you know that It is common that at the beginning of taking an antidepressant you have the opposite effect to that expected, even suicidal thoughts increase. However, after a few weeks (sometimes up to six weeks) you will begin to notice the effects of the antidepressant.
It is also common for some side effects such as dry mouth or nausea to disappear over time, so when you start taking them you have to be patient and be consistent in taking them.
What to do when antidepressants don’t work? When antidepressants don’t work, it’s important tell the psychiatristas it may be because a specific type does not work for you.
It may also be because you do not have depression and you are suffering from another type of problem, so it is always appropriate to have a second opinion.
Go to psychotherapy. The antidepressant is still a patch on the problem. It’s the equivalent of taking pain medication when your leg hurts. However, treating the root problem is what will allow us to eliminate that pain permanently. In the case of depression, psychotherapy is the way to see the cause of the problem and find the most permanent solution, so it is always necessary to accompany the intake of these medications with psychological therapy in order to be able to reduce their intake or eliminate it completely. In this article we talk about the effects of antidepressants and .