How to Treat Depression With Antidepressant Drugs

Antidepressant drugs are prescribed medications used to treat individuals with mood disorders, such as panic and anxiety disorders, as well as depression. By elevating the levels of serotonin in the brain, antidepressant drugs help to relieve the symptoms of depression, such as feelings of sadness and despair, suicidal thoughts and lack of productivity in your everyday life. By consulting with a health care professional, such as a psychiatrist, you may effectively treat depression with antidepressant drugs.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Antidepressant drugs
• Mental-health professional

Treat Depression With Antidepressant Drugs

1. Consult with your mental-health professional in order to choose the type of antidepressant drugs to treat your depression. There are three types of antidepressants to choose from, including SSRIs (selective serotonin uptake inhibitors, MAOIs (monoamine oxidase inhibitors) and tricyclic antidepressants.
2. Choose an SSRI type of antidepressant, such as Prozac, Lexapro, Paxil, Celexa or Zoloft. SSRI-antidepressant drugs increase the level of serotonin in the brain and are much more mild and predictable than some other types of antidepressants. SSRIs are the most widely prescribed antidepressants in the world.
3. Pick an MAOI type of antidepressant, such as Marplan, Nardil, Marsilid and Nialamide for more severe cases of depression. The side effects of MAOIs, and their potential reaction with many other medications and foods, require careful screening procedures from your psychiatrist. MAOIs are also effective at helping people to quit smoking.
4. Consider tricyclic-antidepressant drugs, which are the oldest class of antidepressants, to treat your depression. While tricyclic drugs may not be quite as effective as newer types of antidepressants, they are not as addictive as MAOIs. They may work well in cases in which a patient does not respond to SSRIs.
5. Familiarize yourself with some of the side effects that are common to most types of antidepressant drugs, such as nausea, constipation, diarrhea, dry mouth, excessive sweating, weight loss and gain, sexual dysfunction and decreased sex drive. Schedule a follow-up visit with your doctor if any side effects you are experiencing seem too severe or uncomfortable. Your doctor may adjust the dose or substitute another medication.

Tips & Warnings

• Some antidepressant drugs may produce an adverse reaction in a small percentage of patients, causing them to feel even more suicidal and depressed than before the medication was prescribed. If you notice that your feelings of depression worsen after taking antidepressants, contact your doctor immediately.