subject: Antidepressants – side effects and different kinds of antidepressants [print this page] Antidepressants side effects and different kinds of antidepressants
What is Depression
Clinical depression is not just grief or sadness. It is an illness that can challenge the person's ability to perform even routine daily activities. At its worst, depression may lead the person to contemplate or commit suicide.
Major depression is a change in mood that lasts for weeks or months. It is one of the most severe types of depression. Major depression usually involves a low or irritable mood and/or a loss of interest or pleasure in usual activities. It interferes with the person's normal functioning.
An antidepressant is a psychiatric medication used to alleviate mood disorders, such as major depression and dysthymia and anxiety disorders such as social anxiety disorder.
Different Kinds Antidepressants and their Side Effects
Antidepressants are put into groups based on which chemicals in the brain they affect. There are many different kinds of antidepressants, including:
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
citalopram
escitalopram
fluoxetine
paroxetine
sertraline
If a person has never tried an antidepressant before, SSRIs are usually the first kind of antidepressant medicine your doctor will recommend. These medicines tend to have fewer side effects than other antidepressants. Some of the side effects that SSRIs can cause include dry mouth, nausea, nervousness, insomnia, sexual problems and headache.
Heterocyclics
amitriptyline
desipramine
imipramine
nortriptyline
This type of antidepressant is effective, but is used less often because the side effects are often more extreme. Common side effects caused by these medicines include dry mouth, blurred vision, constipation, difficulty urinating, worsening of glaucoma, impaired thinking and tiredness. These antidepressants can also affect a person's blood pressure and heart rate. They are not usually recommended for older patients, people who have glaucoma or men who have enlarged prostates.
Serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs)
venlafaxine
duloxetine
These medicines are sometimes chosen because they don't interfere with certain other medicines. Some common side effects caused by these medicines include nausea (especially in the first two weeks), loss of appetite, anxiety and nervousness, headache, insomnia and tiredness, dry mouth, constipation, weight loss, sexual problems, increased heart rate and increased cholesterol levels also can occur.
