This article was last updated viernes, 25 de noviembre de 2011
Every drug, because it is an artificially produced combination of chemicals not found in nature, produces side effects. Not all prescription drug side effects are serious, and not all people will experience the same side effects from the same drugs. Some prescription drug side effects, in fact, have proven beneficial enough that they become selling points for the drugs. (antidepressants side effects)
But as far as antidepressant side effects are concerned, the news has been, for the most part, somewhat alarming. Antidepressants are more widely prescribed than ever, and are now used to treat anxiety disorders as well as clinical depression, and antidepressant side effects are affecting an enormous number of people.
Because none of the three classes of anti-depressants--SSRIs, MOIAs, and TCAs--has proven more beneficial in treating depression then the other two, doctors will often prescribe them not on the basis of their effectiveness but on the basis of their antidepressant side effects.
SSRI Side Effects (antidepressants side effects)
When the SSRIs, or Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors, first became available, they were hailed as a breakthrough in the treatment of depression. Believed to have far fewer antidepressant side effects than either MOIA or TCAs, they quickly became the depression medication of choice among doctors.
One of their apparent virtues was their lack of toxicity; TCAs, or tricyclics are extremely toxic to both the central nervous and cardiovascular systems when taken in excess. Tricyclics antidepressant side effects are of such concern, in fact, that they are use is generally discontinued after three months. Elavil, Tofranin, and Norpramin are among the better-known TCAs.
But after SSRIs had been available for a while, their antidepressant side effects [http://www.treatdepressionhelp.com/Depression_Alternative_Treatments/] began to surface, and they were not pretty. One serious one was their effect on may of their users' sexual performances, which ranged from erectile dysfunction, to becoming aroused when they yawned, to a complete loss of libido.
Other of their side effects were insomnia and weight gain, but by far the most alarming was the increased rate of suicide or aggressive behavior among SSRI users below the age of 25. In 2006, in fact, the FDA recommended that "black box" warnings be placed on all SSRIs warning of that risk. ( antidepressants side effects )
MAOI Side Effects
The antidepressant side effects of the third family of depression medications, the MAOIs, make them the least prescribed. MAOIs, because they block the action of the brain enzyme monoamine oxidase, which helps control blood pressure, can cause sudden severe blood pressure spikes and even strokes or death.
Antidepressants side effects.
When you think about side effects of medication you may think of headaches or some stomach disorders, but you never thought about sexual problems, because for some it is too much when you have depression.
Under an article published in the journal Psychiatric Annals, at least 50 per cent of people that take antidepressants in the class of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) may experience sexual side effects, such as inability to become aroused and difficulty achieving orgasm.
The reported incidence of sexual dysfunction (SD) with different antidepressants, for instance, varies quite markedly, due in part to the methodologies used for collecting such information.
Researchers of a recently published study, in which patients received newer antidepressants, note that the reported incidence of sexual side effects in the product labeling for the new medication is around 15 per cent, but when asked directly, up to 70 per cent of patients report SD.
The cause of this problem is not really clear yet, but if you were diagnosed to take antidepressants for your depression and you have experienced sexual side effects as the above mentioned, be sure to tell your doctor about it.
The importance of doing this is that your doctor may adjust your medication regimen or change your medication if it is possible, so you will be able to continue taking the antidepressant needed without sacrificing your sexual pleasure and activity.
This matter, however, is not as simple as seem at first sight, since depressed patients with sexual dysfunctions caused by their medication lead them to non-compliance with antidepressant pharmacotherapy which may also complicate their depression state. (antidepressants side effects)