Depression Medications and How They Work

Depression is a valid, legitimate and known medical condition. In some cases it can be an actual illness which indicates there is a serious problem inside your body. In fact, depression and sometimes caused by an imbalance in your brain chemicals, or neurotransmitters. When changes occur in the levels of these brain chemicals it can cause major shift in a person's behavior and moved.

When depression has been caused by this problem, a common medical treatment is to try using antidepressant drugs. These prescription drugs are believed to correct some of those chemical imbalances which have happened to create the depression state. There are different types of antidepressant drugs used, and usually each prescription must be taken for a minimum of three months before the doctors know whether it is starting to work or not. In some cases, antidepressants must be taken for at least 12 months to gauge their effects.

In the United States there are currently about 20 antidepressant drugs approved by the FDA for use in treating depression. Prescription drugs for depression are usually classified in one of three ways: Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs), Tricyclic Antidepressants (TCAs) or Monamine Oxidase Inhibitors (MAOIs). The chemical makeup of the drug is usually what determines its classification.

SSRIs are the newest kinds of antidepressant drugs, while the others have been around for over 40 years and are just as effective. The older drugs used to treat depression have some pretty severe side effects however, so they're not being used as often these days. Some people are able to tolerate the medications quite well however, so they are still used where appropriate. As noted above, prescription medications used for depression must be tried for extended periods of time to know whether they will work or cause serious side effects. Some people have to try many years of many different medications before finding one that works well for them.

TCAs were the first types of drugs created and used to treat depression. These prescriptions help patients asleep, and they help control pain in addition to helping with depression. Side effects from these types of antidepressants can include dizziness, increased heart rate, sleepiness and petite, as well as muscle twitching and tremors.

MAOIs are another antidepressant which has been around for quite some time. This class of antidepressant drug tends to be fairly effective for anyone who's depression has not responded well to other types of treatments. Unfortunately this class of depression drugs can have life-threatening side effects such as fast heart rate, chest pain, and vomiting.

SSRIs have become the most popular class of prescription drugs used for treating depression. These medications work because they changed the amount of serotonin in the brain. Adjusting the brain levels of the chemical appears to have a positive effect in dealing with depression. Common side effects include low sex drive, dizziness, headaches and insomnia.

Talk to your doctor about the severity and frequency of your own depression, and worked together to decide whether these medications may be a viable option for you.