Depression is a mental health issue that starts most often in early adulthood. It’s also more common in women. However, anyone at any age may deal with depression. Depression affects your brain, so drugs that work in your brain may prove beneficial. Common antidepressants may help ease your symptoms, but there are many other options as well.  Each drug used to treat depression works by balancing certain chemicals in your brain called neurotransmitters. These drugs work in slightly different ways to ease your depression symptoms.

Antidepressants are medications that can help relieve symptoms of depression, social anxiety disorder, anxiety disorders, seasonal affective disorder, and dysthymia, or mild chronic depression, as well as other conditions. They aim to correct chemical imbalances of neurotransmitters in the brain that are believed to be responsible for changes in mood and behavior.

Antidepressants are a popular treatment choice for depression. Although antidepressants may not cure depression, they can reduce symptoms. The first antidepressant you try may work fine. But if it doesn't relieve your symptoms or it causes side effects that bother you, you may need to try another.

Antidepressants were first developed in the 1950s. Their use has become progressively more common in the last 20 years. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the percentage of people aged 12 years and over using antidepressant in the United States rose from 7.7 percent in 1999-2002 to 12.7 percent in 2011-2014. Around twice as many females use antidepressants as males.

Drug Classes of Antidepressants

Many common drugs fall into the following drug classes such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), tetracyclic antidepressant, dopamine reuptake blocker, 5-HT1A receptor antagonist, 5-HT2 receptor antagonists, 5-HT3 receptor antagonist, monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), Atypical antidepressants and noradrenergic antagonist.

Side Effects

SSRIs and SNRIs may have the following side effects: hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, low sodium, nausea, rashes, dry mouth, constipation or diarrhea, weight loss, sweating, tremor, sedation, sexual dysfunction, insomnia, headache, dizziness, anxiety and agitation and abnormal thinking.

Most antidepressants are generally safe, but the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires that all antidepressants carry black box warnings, the strictest warnings for prescriptions. In some cases, children, teenagers and young adults under 25 may have an increase in suicidal thoughts or behavior when taking antidepressants, especially in the first few weeks after starting or when the dose is changed. Anyone taking an antidepressant should be watched closely for worsening depression or unusual behavior.

Natural Treatment

St. John’s wort is an herb that some people have tried for depression. According to the National Center of Complementary and Integrative Health, the herb may have mild positive effects, or it may not work any better than placebo. This herb also causes many drug interactions that can be serious.

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Regards

Mary Wilson

Editorial office

Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology Research

E-mail: pharmatoxicol@eclinicalsci.com