How do anti-depressants work?

Question

How do they work, what side effects are there and do you feel in good mood all the time or just normal? As much info as possible please.

Answer 1

OK, no one is really sure but we believe that most antidepressants. In our brain we have gaps between brain cells. We believe certain chemicals called neurotransmitters (Dopamine, Serotonin, and nor-epinephrine) regulate our mood. These chemicals are sent from gap to gap. Normally there is a lot that is left over and there is no room the the receiving nerve to accept any more. So the chemical is just taken back into the sender.
We think that anti-depressants make more room for the accepting nerve to take in more of the feeling drugs. At the same time the sending nerve refuses to allow the neurotransmitter back in so more is floating in the gap.
That is why a class is drugs is called SSRI which stand for Selective Serotonin Re uptake Inhibitor. This mean the sending serotonin nerve does not allow itself to reuptake, or take back extra serotonin, so more is available.
There is also the same thing with a SNRI Selective Nor-epinephrine Re uptake Inhibitor.
Prozac was the First SSRI
Cymbalta is one of the first SNRI
There are a few other theories out there but those are the main ones. Hope that helped.

They take a long time to start working. You can feel better in a week or two, but full effects can take a month or two. Side effect depend on the drug. Some of the earliest called MAOI inhibitors could kill you if you took the wrong foods (put you into a hypertensive crisis. We do not use those much any more. The first generation drugs killed sex drive and made you thirtsy all the time. SSRI's are better. Kills some sex drive, Pail is well known for that but Effexor is not). Atypicals make one eat like crazy and help you sleep (like Remeron). The lastest class SNRI have very few, in any noticible side effects.
Antidepressants will not help anyone who is not depressed. It will not cause a high (unless you are bi-polar. Then it can throw someone into a dangerous manic episode.) It will just get you feeling normal and able to handle life.
Please combine it with therapy. Drugs are great but not the asnwer to everything. I also agree that exercise can raise the drugs naturally, but not enough to make clinical depression go into remission. Good luck

Answer 2

I dont know how they work, but I'm sure glad they do.

My particular medication is 30mg of Citalopram. I feel in a great mood pretty much most of the time, feel really happy almost all of the remainder and a very thin slice of not being happy but not that bothered either.

The side affects that come with it are loss of concentration, some loss of balance and dizziness.
When I first started taking the medication there was some stomach cramps which are a bit annoying but not painful.

These side effects are listed on the advise slip that comes with the prescription.

Obviously working at heights or operating machinery is completely out of the question.

Answer 3

Looking at your other posts, I'm assuming here that you want info for an assignment, rather than because you're thinking about starting them...

If that is the case, then click on the following link...
http://www.thebrain.mcgill.ca/flash/i/i_08/i_08_m/i_08_m_dep/i_08_m_dep.html

Side effects vary from class-to-class of antidepressant, and no - you don't feel in a good mood all the time - the drugs relieve some of the symptoms of depression, but you then have to fight to get better through other means such as increased social interaction, increased exercise, confidence building.

Hope this helps.

Answer 4

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Answer 5

I think they try to increase your levels of serotonin so that you feel happier. Its not instant and you dont feel happy all the time. I think it gives your brain a rest from the depression so you can start to think about things rationally again and get yourself back to a happier state. When you are depressed you tend to get things out of proportion and worry about things other people might not, so I think they help to give you time to retrain the way your brain works.

You can get serotonin from doing some exercise and from eating brazil nuts among lots of other things probably. Smelling bergamot can help too.

Answer 6

they can balance out chemicals or numb parts of the brain or activate parts of the brain. they are losts of diffrent anti-depressants so its hard to say.
Just having a healthy diet can help, fruit and veg etc not loads of e numbers and chemicals.

Answer 7

Try this link for further info.

Answer 8

I BELIEVE THEY RAISE DOPAMINE AND SEROTONIN LEVELS IN THE BRAIN