New Antidepressants for Depression and Insomnia republished from New Antidepressants.

Depression is a serious disorder that seems to be triggered by stress, hormones, genetics, chemical imbalances, or effects of other medications. As science progresses, new medicines are being developed. There are several new antidepressants for depression on the market today. As with any medication, the antidepressants for depression do have certain side effects, such as insomnia. The effects are usually short term and do not outweigh the benefits of the medicine.

With depression, one of the first symptoms to appear is insomnia; it is also one of the last symptoms to disappear. New medicines are being developed to help alleviate the symptoms of depression within 3 to 4 days rather than several weeks like other medications have in the past. Along with these medicines come unpleasant but generally mild side effects. You can help prevent and curb the onset of insomnia. You can establish a normal bedtime routine, stay away from caffeinated beverages, and try taking your medicine in the morning. The side effect of insomnia is thought to arise due to the increase in energy the antidepressant medications give you. While the increase in energy is not a bad thing, it can be frustrating not to be able to fall asleep.

Several new medications that are used for treating depression are available. Pristiq (desvenlafaxine) is a new antidepressant that works with serotonin and norepinephrine in the brain. The selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are the most popular type of medicine for treating depression. The SSRIs come in several types of medications, generic and name brand. Doctors do not yet know how these medicines work on depression. There are brain chemicals known as neurotransmitters that are linked with depression, including the neurotransmitter, serotonin. There is research that suggests abnormalities in this activity can affect an individual’s mood and behavior. It is known that when there are increased levels of serotonin, there is an improvement is mood. SSRIs seem only work with serotonin, yet not with other neurotransmitters.

In conclusion, new medications used for treating depression are helping people cope with this debilitating disease. There will be side effects, such as insomnia, but this will happen with almost any medicine that you take. The positive changes these new medicines can have on your life are far worth losing a few hours of sleep for several days or weeks.

Common Side Effects of New Antidepressants republished from New Antidepressants.

Whenever a person takes any form of medication there will be some kind of physiological effect. Hopefully this will be a positive one, but occasionally it is negative. Antidepressants are no different and the results can be encouraging and rewarding, or very depressing in their own right. This article will examine some common side effects of new antidepressants and provide guidance for how to deal with them.

Any patient about to commence antidepressants needs to be totally honest with their doctor about their current health and any other medication they are taking. This is vitally important as many medications, even common place ones such as aspirin, can interact with the antidepressant tablets.

Common side effects of new antidepressants can be unpleasant and the patient, and any care provider involved, should be made aware of these to protect an already vulnerable person.

Nausea is the most common, along with a dry mouth. Whilst these may sound mild in themselves, when combined with a lack of sleep these symptoms can become very frustrating. A reduction in appetite is also a common feature, which may or may not have been present previously. Many patients also report an increase in sweating.

The most common time for these problems to present themselves is within the first few weeks and months of starting the new medication. Any unusual behaviour should be noted by the patient or the caretaker and reported to the doctor. This may range from an increase in anxiety or panic attacks to suicidal thoughts. It is therefore imperative that the patient has an independent person close at hand to monitor their behaviour during the first few months of a new treatment.

Less common issues can range from itchy skin, dark or unusual coloured urine (with or without a jaundiced appearance) to headaches, weakness, fever, dizziness, and lack of concentration. All side effects should be reported and monitored by a trained professional and may require a simple blood test or the recording of the patients blood pressure. Many of these are very common side effects of new antidepressants, but you cannot be sure that it is so simple until your doctor has had a chance to thoroughly investigate. Even though these drugs tend to be very safe, there is always an outside possibility of having a severe negative reaction to them. If not monitored carefully by a physician, these types of reactions could cause permanent injury or even death.

New Antidepressants for Treating Atypical Depression republished from New Antidepressants.

There are now a number of new antidepressants for atypical depression. Many people suffering from atypical depression may have been diagnosed with standard depression and given treatments appropriate to that condition. However, treatments for standard depression can be of limited effectiveness for sufferers of atypical depression.

Atypical depression is the most common subclass of depression. Many of the symptoms differ from classical depression, including increased appetite, sleepiness, leaden paralysis (feeling as though one is weighted down with lead weights) and mood reactivity (when one’s mood improves or worsens in relation to positive or negative events or occurrences). In addition, atypical depression sufferers are likely to experience the onset of their symptoms at an earlier age than those with regular depression and women are more likely than men to be afflicted.

While patients with this subclass of depression experience some relief on a course of SSRI (Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) such as Prozac or Zoloft, these drugs are of limited effectiveness in treating atypical depression. While reports indicate more favorable results with the older MAOI (Monoamine oxidase inhibitor) drugs, serious side-effects and dietary restrictions were common, leading researchers to experiment with newer treatments, including NDRI (Norepinephrine and dopamine reuptake inhibitor) such as Wellbutrin or Zyban and SNRI (Serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor) like Cymbalta.

Rather than affecting serotonin levels, NDRI’s function by increasing the norepinephrine and dopamine levels in the brain. Since NDRI treatment results in a greater vitalizing affect than  SSRIs, it is particularly helpful for the tendency of the atypical depression sufferer to sleep abnormally long amounts. NDRI’s lack the sexual side effects of SSRI’s, nor do they appear to contribute to weight gain. However, NDRI’s are not safe for people with a history of seizures.

SNRI’s affect both the serotonin and nor epinephrine levels in the brain. They are also used to treat obsessive-compulsive disorders and fibromyalgia symptoms. SNRI’s share many of the side effects of SSRI’s though sometimes to a lesser degree. Cessation of SNRI’s can lead to withdrawal symptoms, so patients using these drugs are generally given a tapering-off dose when discontinuing.

These new antidepressants for atypical depression give hope to people for whom other treatments have proved ineffective. People who feel that their depression symptoms have only been partly relieved by standard treatment may want to investigate the possibility that they are actually suffering from atypical depression.

Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) republished from New Antidepressants.

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are often still referred to as new antidepressants or atypical antidepressants because they emerged to replace the older tricyclic antidepressant medications. Tricyclics were in some ways more effective that SSRIs, but carried with them much worse side effects. The following list explains the details of dosage and clinical use for each of the new SSRI antidepressant drugs. It will make clear some of the differences between SSRIs.

What Are SSRIs? How Do SSRIs Work?

SSRIs work by blocking the reuptake of serotonin from the synapse back into the neuron that released it. This allows the serotonin molecules to stay in the active zone for longer, meaning they are more likely to be absorbed. Each time a serotonin molecule is absorbed by the receiving cell, it is interpreted as a sugnal from the previous cell. That signal is then passed on to the next neuron through another release of neurotransmitters to the next cells along the line.

List of SSRIs

• Citalopram (brand name: Celexa): The typical dosage for Celexa is 20 mg to begin with, and then a maintenance dose of 40 mg per day. The maximum approved dose is 60 mg per day.
• Escitalopram (brand names: Lexapro, Cipralex): The typical dose is 10 mg. Clinical trials have shown the 10 mg dose to be as effective as a 20 mg dose in most cases, with fewer side effects. Lexapro and Cipralex are also helpful for anxiety, and so are frequently prescribed for anxiety disorders.
• Paroxetine (brand names: Paxil, Seroxat): Paxil and Seroxat are frequently used to treat panic disorder, OCD, social anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and PTSD in addition to depression. In some cases, it can also decrease the frequency of cycling in cases of bipolar disorder. The typical dose is 25 mg per day, but that may be increased to as much as 50 mg per day. This drug is also available in controlled-released capsules, which allows for convenient one-a-day dosing.
• Fluoxetine (brand name: Prozac): Prozac is the original SSRI "new antidepressant," and is still very popular. It is now lso used to treat OCD, bulimia, and panic disorder. This drug has a long half-life, which leads to less withdrawal when medication is stopped. Dosing starts at 20 mg and goes up to a maximum of 40 mg.
• Fluvoxamine (brand name: Luvox): This new antidepressant is primarily used in the treatment of OCD, but may also be prescribed for depression. The starting dose is typically 50 mg, titrated up by 50 mg every 4-7 days. If the daily dose is greater than 100 mg, it is generally taken in divided dosages. The dose of Luvox should not exceed 300 mg per day.
• Sertraline (Zoloft, Lustral): Zoloft and Lustral are also popular in the treatment of panic disorder, OCD, PTSD, social anxiety disorder, and premenstrual dysphoric disorder. Dosing ranges from 50 to 200 mg per day and should be gradually titrated.

It is very important that patients be aware of drug interactions with selectvie serotonin reuptake inhibitors. For example, the common over-the-counter cough medicine ingredient dextromethorphan should not be taken with SSRIs because it can itself inhibit reuptake of serotonin, causing ill effects including the potentially fatal "serotonin syndrome." This syndrome has highly unpleasant symptoms including dissociation and derealization, cold sweats, confusion, and anxiety.  Some opioids, such as tramadol (Tramal, Ultram), and pethidine/meperidine can cause similar effects. Always be sure to consult your pharmacist about potential drug interactions before taking an SSRI medication.