What are the drugs to relieve depression

The currently commonly used clinical antidepressants mainly include SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) and SNRIs (serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors). In addition, there are traditional antidepressants such as tricyclics and monoamine oxidase inhibitors, as well as rapid antidepressant preparations such as esketamine nasal spray that have been approved in recent years. All drugs are psychiatric prescription drugs and must be evaluated by a professional psychiatrist before they can be used. It is absolutely not recommended to buy and take them by yourself.

The "Five Golden Flowers" that everyone often hears about belong to the SSRI category, including fluoxetine, sertraline, paroxetine, fluvoxamine, and citalopram. They are now the first-choice medication for most patients with newly diagnosed depression. The side effects are relatively mild. Most of them only have mild nausea and dizziness in the initial stage of taking the medication, which will be relieved after a week or two of tolerance. I met a boy who just started working in the psychiatric department before. After being diagnosed with moderate depression, he couldn't even clock in to work. The doctor prescribed him sertraline. By the third week of taking it, he said that he finally stopped crying at his desk and stared at the screen for no reason, and he could barely communicate with his colleagues at work.

Of course, SSRIs are not effective for everyone. If a patient is not only depressed but also suffers from obvious physical pain and severe anxiety, doctors will often give priority to SNRIs such as venlafaxine and duloxetine. These drugs simultaneously regulate two mood-related neurotransmitters and have a more obvious effect on improving depression combined with physical symptoms. The earlier tricyclics and monoamine oxidase inhibitors are not used much now, because the side effects are relatively greater, and there may be dry mouth, constipation, and heart-related adverse reactions. However, they are not completely eliminated. For some patients with refractory depression who have taken a variety of new drugs and have no effect, doctors may adjust the use of these old drugs after evaluating their physical conditions.

The most discussed in the past two years is the rapid antidepressant drug esketamine. It was a commonly used anesthetic drug before. Now it has been approved in China for use in patients with refractory depression and strong suicidal ideation. It takes effect very quickly, and can sometimes relieve extremely depressed mood within a few hours. Xula comes up, but the controversy is not small. On the one hand, short-term dissociation and hallucination reactions may occur after use. On the other hand, there is also the risk of abuse due to improper control. Therefore, it can only be used in regular medical institutions under medical supervision. Individuals cannot buy it and cannot use it on their own.

Nowadays, there is a fierce debate on the Internet about whether to take antidepressants. Some people say that taking them will make them stupid and addictive, while others say that taking them has saved their lives. In fact, both claims have their own basis: some patients will have slower reactions and drowsiness in the early stages of taking the medicine. Most of these are temporary and will wait until the medicine takes effect. It will gradually disappear after the effect and body tolerance. Long-term use according to the doctor's advice will not damage the intelligence, nor will it cause addiction. On the contrary, many people think that it is "a drug that is three parts poisonous". They stop taking the drug without permission after taking it for two days and feel uncomfortable. On the contrary, they are prone to withdrawal reactions such as dizziness and emotional rebound, and mistakenly think that they are "addicted" to the drug.

Speaking of it, antidepressants are really not "happy water". They will not make you happy for no reason. They are more like a soft cushion for your sinking emotions. They will not keep you stuck at the bottom and unable to get up. However, to truly return to a normal life, you often need to cooperate with psychological counseling and adjustment of the rhythm of life. I met a patient before who secretly bought fluoxetine online after hearing from a friend that it was effective. After taking it for half a month, he became extremely hyperactive and couldn't sleep all night long. When he went to the hospital for a checkup, it was discovered that he was actually in the depressive phase of bipolar disorder. Simply taking antidepressants caused a manic episode. This is why it is necessary to consult a doctor for evaluation before taking medication. Everyone's condition and body tolerance are different, and the medicine that suits others may not be suitable for you.