Depression is a biological illness that needs to be treated with a combination of depression medication and therapy or therapeutic activities. There are several types of depression meds that work in different ways to regulate the chemicals of the brain.
Neurotransmitters are the chemical messengers between brain cells called neurons. When the neurotransmitters become unbalanced or not enough of a particular neurotransmitter remains active, the chemical imbalance can cause depression.
Serotonin and norepinephine are the two neurotransmitters that are commonly thought to cause depression when their levels are too low. Depression medications may work by altering the levels of one or both of these neurotransmitters.
There are four main types of meds for depression. Tricyclic antidepressants are an older medication which regulate the norepinephrine and serotonin in the brain. However, tricyclic antidepressants often cause more side effects than the newer antidepressants.
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) work by allowing the serotonin in the brain to be active for a longer period of time than usual. After serotonin is released by a neuron, some is reabsorbed and therefore, no longer active. The SSRIs work by blocking some of the serotonin from being reabsorbed.
Paxil, Prozac, and Zoloft are examples of popular SSRI medications. While many people respond well to SSRIs, some people may have bothersome side effects including nausea, dizziness, and sexual side effects.
Serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors work much the same way as SSRIs, but they block the absorption of both serotonin and norepinephrine. The serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors are a newer form of depression drug.
Cymbalta and Effexor are serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors. Some possible side effects of these depression drugs include blurred vision, headaches, dry mouth, drowsiness, and changes in appetite.
If those depression drugs to not alleviate the symptoms, the doctor may prescribe a type of antidepressant known as a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI). Patients who are on a MAOI need to follow certain dietary restrictions.
People with depression respond differently to antidepressant drugs. While one medication may work very well for someone and cause no side effects, that same medication may not work at all for someone else.
Depression often runs in families. If a person who has just been diagnosed with depression is going to take medication for the first time, a depression medication that works well for a relative is often the best one to try first.
In addition to taking a depression med as prescribed, the individual may want to make some lifestyle changes to make depression more manageable. People with depression often find their symptoms to be less severe when they are managing stress and taking care of their physical needs for sleep, exercise, and nutrition.
Doctors may recommend that the person participate in therapy sessions to help cope with the depression. Since depression can cause negative thinking, hopelessness, and suicidal thoughts, therapy is important to help the person challenge the thinking patterns that have been caused by the depression.