ANTIDEPRESSANTS

Most antidepressants take two to four weeks to work. Some people notice some changes earlier. However, if you have been depressed for a long time or if you are taking an antidepressant for OCD, it may take longer than four weeks. There are several classes of antidepressants: Selective Seratonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs), tricyclics, Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors (MAOIs) and the atypical antidepressants (that each function differently from each other).

SSRIs

Selective Seratonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) include fluoxetine (Prozac) and sertraline (Zoloft), citalopram (Celexa), fluvoxamine (Luvox) and paraoxetine (Paxil). These medications tend to have fewer and less severe side effects than tricyclics and MAOIs. Possible side effects include nervousness, nausea, dry mouth, diarrhea, insomnia, headache, weight gain and sexual dysfunction. Although this laundry list of side effects sounds intimidating, most individuals who take this medication find that they only have a few tolerable side effects or no side effects at all.

Some medications in this class cause uncomfortable symptoms if the medication is stopped suddenly from a higher dose. Therefore, do not stop this medication without discussing this with your doctor first.

SSRI’s can cause interactions with other medications. Bleeding may occur when used with anticoagulants, in particular Coumadin. Tagament may increase the blood level of SSRIs, leading to greater side effects. SSRIs should be used with extreme caution in combination with MAOIs. The SSRI’s are used to treat a broad variety of different disorders including different types of depression, eating disorders, anxiety disorders including OCD and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, impulse control disorders, personality disorders and Body-Dysmorphic disorder.

CAUTION: NAMI-NYS does not give medical advice. This page is for informational purposes only. Discuss all medication and medical decisions with your physician.