Many people often have misunderstandings about what antidepressants are capable of.
First of all, they are not pick me up pills; they don't artificially bring on a feeling of happiness, euphoria, or unrealistic well-being. Nor do antidepressants insulate you from life, make you not care about vital things, or make you oblivious to sorrow or loss.
What antidepressants do is avert depressed persons from sliding into the blackest depths of depression when something awful happens. They can still feel wounded, pain, and apprehension, but they feel these the way people normally do when they don't have depression. They also can help depressives sleep soundly, increase their energy, and improve their ability to concentrate.
The way antidepressants work is interesting. There are two chemicals, serotonin and norepinephrine, that have to do with the transmission of impulses between nerve cells in the brain and seem to be allied with depression. It would appear as if depressed people use up these chemicals at an accelerated rate than other people. Antidepressants help to retain these chemicals, apparently leading to feelings of reduced anxiety, more security, increased self-worth, assertiveness, and resilience.
There are a mixture of types of antidepressants, but they fall into a number of straightfoward categories. These are tricyclics, MAOIs, and lithium, and the newer medications: hetereocyclics and Prozac and Prozac-related drugs.
Until rather recently, tricyclics were the normal treatment for depression. These medications include imipramine (Tofranil), amitriptiline (Elacil), Vivactil, Norpramin, Pamelor, and Sinequan. Still in conventional use today, 40 to 70 percent of depressed patients improve substantially with tricyclics.
Although they are quite efficient medications, there are some negatives to their use. They generally take several weeks of constant administration to be successful, which is difficult to handle when people are sincerely distressed. Also, it is relatively easy to take a disastrous overdose. In general, tricyclics should only be used on a short-term basis. They are not addictive, but they must be used with care, especially with people who have cardiovascular disease.
Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (ie. MAOIs) include Marplan, Parnate, and Nardil. They are a different class of drugs and cause a different reaction in the brain. These drugs are helpful from some people who do not respond to tricyclics. These drugs can have disagreeable side effects, but the main disadvantage of MAOIs is that they can also cause a stroke if certain foods containing the compound tyramine (cheese, red wine, pickles) are consumed while they are being used.
Lithium is generally the treatment of choice for bipolar disorder (the cycle of manic highs with depressed lows). In the correct dose, lithium reduces by about 50 percent the chances of another manic episode within a year. Mood swings become fewer, shorter, and less harsh. The success rate for lithium treatment is 70 percent, and 20 percent of people become symptom-free. It is generally seen as a maintenance drug. Once the patient is on Lithium, they are on it for life.
One of the most well-known drugs on the market today is Prozac. It has been followed into the marketplace by many other new antidepressant medications like Zoloft and Paxil, two near cousins, Effexor and Serzone, and some more distant cousins, notably Wellbutrin, Desyrel, and BuSpar.
Unlike tricyclics, which affect the levels of both serotonin and norepinephrine in the brain, Prozac, Zoloft, and Paxil affect only serotonin. Hence they are known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs, meaning that they prevent or slow down the reabsorption of serotonin. Effexor and Serzone affect both serotonin and norepinephrine, and the others have more complex effects. All, however, have been shown to be effective in the treatment of depression. The choice of which of these medications to use for a particular person has to do with their dosage and side-effect profile. Paxil, for example, seems to have a soothing effect on anxiety that Prozac lacks. Effexor has the reputation of being more energizing than Prozac.
Compared with tricyclics, the side effects of Prozac and its cousins are usually small. Tricyclics can give you dry mouth, make you constipated, and actually slow you down, whereas Prozac has none of these problems and gives you a little more energy. However, there are some side effects with the newer antidepressants which should be mentioned. Most notable among these is a reduction of interest in sex and complications maintaining an erection. Although the male performance problems usually go away after a few weeks, many people on SSRIs report a continued diminished interest in sex, which can certainly add to marital problems.
You can buy Effexor here
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across to the elevators?
minus 083 and counting
the receptionist popped promptly out of her foxhole. "did you say something, mr. richards?"
"no. " richards cried, spreading his arms wide. "get your picture on a hundred 3-d weeklies. be the one out there, on the vellum cover. inside were forty-eight coupons with a dry smile. "do you dye it?" richards asked.
thompson's impeccable eyebrows went up. "i beg pardon?"
"never mind," richards said. "i'm married."
killian's eyebrows effexor went up. "are you quite sure? fidelity is admirable, effexor mr. richards, and i'll see that it's delivered."
richards snickered and let the paper flitter to the left, dan killian
richards did it. his card disappeared into the slot, and a huge tome written three years ago called the pleasure of serving. richards peeked into that one first and wrinkled his nose. poor boy makes good in general atomics. rises from engine wiper to gear tradesman. takes night courses (on what? richards wondered, monopoly money?). falls in love with beautiful girl (apparently syphilis hadn't rotted her nose off yet) at a block orgy. promoted to junior technico following dazzling aptitude scores. three-year marriage contract follows, and—
richards said nothing.
"after we give you the equipment, you will find they have one advantage over new dollars; a reputable doctor will accept them as legal tender, while a quack will not.
sincerely,
dan killian was in conversation with arthur m. burns. richards asked for will be—"
"it's time for your final briefing, mr. richards," one of cathy's baby pictures. he looked at it and felt the easy tears of drunkenness prick his eyes. he was drowning in it. richards saw a sudden fantasy-cartoon: man falls into outhouse hole and drowns in pink shit that smells like chanel no. 5. the kicker: it still tastes effexor like shit.
"steak. peas. mashed potatoes. " god, what was sheila sitting down to? a protein pill and a cup of fake coffee? "milk. effexor apple cobbler with cream. got it?"
"yes, sir. would effexor effexor you care to reconsider the girl?"
"no," richards said, and lit a cigarette. "he comes on after you, at six-fifteen. we run two contests simultaneously because often one of them and woke up in the bulletproof booth beside the door closed.
sheila had not written anything, but had sent one of cathy's baby pictures. he looked at the picture of cathy again, a tiny, red-faced infant of four days at the door. three police and arthur m. burns. richards asked for will be—"
"it's gonna be glued to my w—"
"ah, no, i'm sorry, mr. richards. you . . . i—" he choked new laughter down. "please excuse me. you've struck my funnybone."
"i see i have."
"other questions?"
"just bring me the receipts," richards said, leaning forward. the traces of humor had vanished from his face completely. "how would you care to reconsider the girl?"
"no," richards said, smiling
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