Antidepressants

Antidepressants play an important role in the treatment of bipolar disorder. Bipolar depression can be a very serious condition that requires medication to treat. However, caution must be used when a person with bipolar disorder is taking antidepressants, as it is possible for them to cause mania or hypomania. This article is an overview of the types of antidepressants available for treating bipolar depression.

The United States Food and Drug Administration has ordered that all antidepressants approved by the FDA must carry a boxed warning regarding an increased risk of suicidal thinking and behavior in children and young adults. Here is the text of that warning along with an explanation.

Discussion of the US Food and Drug Administration's possible plan to expand the "black box warnings" on antidepressant patient inserts to include a warning that antidepressants may increase the risk of suicide in adults. Such a warning is already in place regarding children and teens. Some healthcare professionals feel this would be a tragic mistake.

Depression medication is often needed by people who suffer from both chronic or clinical depression, bipolar depression, and people who have gone through something that has made them seriously depressed, even though they don't generally experience depression. Here are answers to several questions often asked about depression medications.

Depression medication types are mostly named for the way they work, with a couple of exceptions. There are also some drugs not classed as antidepressants that still help to alleviate depression, but they aren't widely used to treat pure depression. Many of those drugs are used in treating bipolar depression. This article lists the various types of depression medications and the drugs that are included in each type.

Serotonin Syndrome is a condition brought on by having too much of the neurotransmitter serotonin in the body. Although serotonin syndrome is treatable, it can be fatal, so symptoms need to be recognized right away.

It is widely accepted that a shortage of the neurotransmitter Serotonin is a likely candidate for causing depression. However, many people are not aware that Serotonin plays a role in the clotting of blood. Some researchers are concerned that antidepressants may be interfering with the body’s ability to adequately form blood clots and increase the risk for abnormal bleeding.

Antidepressant medications are used to treat more than depression. Some antidepressants are used to help you sleep; others treat anxiety; and some can be used to help relieve certain types of pain.

On March 22, 2004, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a Public Health Advisory that provides further cautions to physicians, their patients, and families and caregivers of patients about the need to closely monitor both adults and children with depression, especially at the beginning of treatment, or when the doses are changed with either an increase or decrease in the dose.

Depression Guide Nancy Schimelpfening goes over the basics of brain chemistry and talks about the major players that affect depression. Has a very nice illustration.

SSRIs have been found to cause bruxism, which can lead to jaw pain, tooth damage and headaches, but Buspar can be prescribed for relief.