How to Improve Heart Attack Survival With Antidepressants

Going through a heart attack is one of the challenging and depressing things that can happen to a person. Most people don't understand what it's like unless they've had one themselves. Depression often follows. At least one study shows that heart attacks patients who took selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors--SSRIs--were less likely to have another myocardial infarction or die.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Talk to your doctor about your feelings of depression. It's a known fact that people who are post myocardial infarction--heart attack--have a higher rate of morbidity and mortality. In fact, one in five people post-heart attack suffer from depression.
2. Know that some doctors are nervous about how anti-depressants will interact with your heart medications. They don't want them to counteract the life saving properties.
3. Ask your doctor if you're a candidate to receive selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors or SSRIs such as Zoloft. The anti-depressant medication keeps serotonin from attaching to certain receptors in your brain.
4. Be aware that SSRIs may do double duty. Some evidence even suggests the medicine not only helps your mood but thins the blood, thus preventing clogged arteries.
5. Monitor your physical and mental health very carefully if put on this treatment. Keep all your doctor appointments and write down a journal if it'll help you remember how you felt each day.

Tips & Warnings

• Be honest about your feelings. If you're feeling depressed, talk to someone. Letting someone in is the first step in getting better.
• Don't use someone else's prescribed medicine or share yours. Each person must have their own prescription.