SELECTIVE SEROTONIN REUPTAKE INHIBITORS--SSRIs
The SSRIs are a unique class of antidepressant compounds. They inhibit the reuptake of serotonin at the synapse, which causes a direct neurophysiological effect. Because of this effect, these drugs do not produce at all as many side effects as seen with other antidepressant medicines, such as hypertension, stroke, heart block, hallucinations, agitation, vomiting, itching, numbness, insomnia, urinary retention, and many other effects.
Fluoxetine (brand name: Prozac) was the first SSRI to be introduced in the United States. Other SSRIs include Paroxetine (brand name: Paxil) and Sertraline (brand name: Zoloft). These drugs act on the production of norepinephrine and serotonin, two chemicals that the brains of depressives are either lacking or not using efficiently. They prevent secreting cells from reabsorbing the neurotransmitters, thus allowing them to circulate and stimulate the next nerve cell into production. Associated side effects of these medications are dry mouth, nausia, headaches, diarrhea, insomnia, and fatigue, to name a few.
The majority of people on these drugs show a substantial improvement in their depressive symptoms. In her memoir, Prozac Nation, Elizabeth Wurtzel describes her experience after taking the compound Fluoxetine (Prozac). Like Melissa's experienced, they were not fast acting drugs. It took awhile for the sympoms to decrease. Also, like in Melissa's case, just knowing the diagnosis helped her a lot. Just knowing that there were other people in her shoes, and finding out the reasons for past emotions helps almost as much as any antidepressant drug.
from Handbook of Depression in Children and
Adolescents, by William Reynolds
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