More and more people are taking antidepressants, although many people are also reluctant to use them and the side effects they can cause. It is therefore important to understand the types of antidepressants that exist and the way each one works since Each takes a different time to produce the primary effects and they have 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 the antidepressant works, to learn to detect when the intake of an antidepressant is working for you and when it is not and so that you can provide your psychiatrist in the reviews more accurate information so that you can more accurately assess whether an antidepressant and a certain dose are suitable for you.
The exact mechanism and functions will be different for each individual drug. Therefore, 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 one that is prescribed in a more common way and it is usually the one that psychiatrists begin to test in 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 taken up. 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 what is serotonin and what is it for.
SNRI (Serotonin and Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors)
Some examples of these types of antidepressants are duloxetine (Cymbalta), venlafaxine (Effexor XR), desvenlafaxine (Pristiq), and levomilnacipran (Fetzyme).
As in the previous case, these antidepressants facilitate the transmission of serotonin and norepinephrine between neurons by preventing their reuptake. The more they circulate, the better we feel. In this article you can see what is the relationship between serotonin and depression.
Atypical antidepressants
Some of the most commercial ones are trazodone, mirtazapine (Remeron), vortioxetine (Trintellix), vilazodone (Viibryd), and bupropion (Wellbutrin SR, Wellbutrin XL).
Tricyclic antidepressants
The 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 receivers of other amines, which causes all those side effects.
Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOI)
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 that have thiamine content 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 refer to when starting a treatment with psychotropic drugs for depression normal? It is very important that you know the antidepressant effects in the first few days and that you know that it is usual 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 disappear over time, so when you start taking them you have to be patient and be constant in intake.
How do you know if the antidepressant works or not? As we have seen, it is normal to take antidepressants and feel worse at first, but after 6 weeks the effects of antidepressants should be noticeable. Signs that the antidepressant is working and working are as follows:
- More energy energy. Antidepressants have an energizing effect so it is common to feel more vital, energetic and strong once they start to take effect.
- Broader mind. It is quite common to get out of that tunnel vision in which no problem has an end or a solution and in which we do not see anything positive in our life. Thanks to antidepressants you can start to see things differently.
- Better mood. Thanks to this broader vision of what happens in your day to day life, it is very common for you to feel more cheerful, happier than before.
- Better sense of self-worth. It is quite common to feel more self-confident and therefore more sociable, more outgoing and relaxed in general without thinking so much about what they will say.
What to do when antidepressants don't work? When the antidepressant doesn't work, it's important communicate it to the psychiatrist, as it may be because a specific type does not work for you.
It may also be because you do not have depression and that 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 to the problem. It is the equivalent of taking pain medication when a 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 of seeing the cause of the problem and looking for the most permanent solution, so it is always It is 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 discuss the effects of antidepressants and consequences of taking antidepressants for many years.
This article is merely informative, in Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
