Antidepressants usually increase the ability of the body’s cells to fight off infection (phagocytosis), such as viruses and bacteria. Note that antidepressants do not affect vitamins, the level of some trace elements in the patient’s blood.
It has been shown that the function of cells of the immune system can be regulated by the nervous system with the help of hormones secreted mainly by the pituitary gland, as well as neurotransmitters. Antidepressants can reduce the level of cortisol, a stress hormone, and thereby stabilize not only the immune system, but also the endocrine system.
It is not necessary to select antidepressants by the method of “trial and error”, it is always necessary to do a neural test before this, and in the course of treatment to control the concentration of drugs in the blood.
In general, antidepressants are, in my opinion, the most useful of all psychotropic drugs, because they can affect the growth of neurons and their recovery, unlike most other drugs usually prescribed by a psychiatrist.
All antidepressants can be divided into three groups: acting on one type of receptor (selective 5-HT reuptake inhibitors); affecting a relatively small number of receptors (nerve cell endings) and antidepressants that affect a large number of receptors. In each specific case, a specific antidepressant is indicated for a specific patient.
It is probably optimal to use drugs that act on a small number of receptors, since in this case there are fewer side effects from drugs. Experience shows that a simple blood test can suggest the choice of antidepressant, the higher the erythrocyte sedimentation rate, the more likely we will get a positive effect from prescribing an antidepressant with a broad spectrum of action, and vice versa. Sometimes the side effects of an antidepressant can be used to improve sleep, increase appetite and restore potency.
Modern pharmacological genetics allows you to choose exactly the antidepressant that will give a positive effect and minimize side effects.
Antidepressant medication usually lasts 3 to 6 months and is discontinued under the supervision of a physician, slowly tapering the dose to avoid withdrawal. Mood stabilizers are sometimes used to prevent recurrence of depression after antidepressant withdrawal.
There is no dependence on antidepressants. When treating with antidepressants, the state of the cardiovascular system should be monitored by an electrocardiogram and blood clotting (usually reduced), the effectiveness of antidepressants is assessed using special scales, a neural test and electroencephalography.