When a person is tormented by a headache, heart or fever, taking painkillers or other necessary medicine is considered the norm. But in a situation where a person develops depression, taking antidepressants causes resistance and a number of questions. What for? Why? What side effects do they cause? They are the most common questions not only of the patient, but also of relatives.
What are antidepressants and how to take them correctly
Antidepressants are drugs that help eliminate or reduce the symptoms of depression. It is worth noting that antidepressants can increase the patient’s mood if it is pathologically reduced, and cause absolutely no reaction in a healthy person.
There are a number of antidepressants that have different effects. This helps to cope with various forms of depression provoked by various factors: endogenous, somatic, intoxication and psychogenic. Also in medicine there are a number of drugs that have an anti-anxiety effect and allow you to deal with obsessive- compulsive disorders. Such drugs are used to treat psychosomatic diseases.
It is worth noting that antidepressants are also widely used to treat anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa.
Antidepressants are psychotropic drugs, it is necessary to take such medications consciously and correctly. You can not abruptly and independently end the reception. The choice of the drug itself, its dose and frequency of administration should be trusted only to psychiatrists.
How to take antidepressants correctly and when they start to work
In order for the medicine to be useful and fulfill its purpose, it must be taken correctly. If you follow all the recommendations of specialists, then a positive result of treatment will not be long in coming, and the effect of side effects will be minimal. As a rule, antidepressants are prescribed in the morning. It is necessary to increase the dose only on the recommendation of the doctor, as well as reduce it, which will avoid a negative effect.
The result from treatment with antidepressants does not come as quickly as from other medications. Drugs in this category are able to show the effect of taking only 3-4 weeks after the start of taking. A significant improvement from the treatment can be observed after 1.5-2 months.
How long can antidepressants be taken
Following the recommendations of experts from various countries, you can take antidepressants for no more than six months. Difficult conditions and chronic disorders require a longer intake, but even then exceptional cases. It should also be noted that the result of taking such drugs for 2-3 weeks will not give the desired result. In any case, you should always follow the recommendations of experts.
Alcohol with antidepressants and whether they can be taken during pregnancy or breastfeeding
Antidepressants are strictly contraindicated to be taken with alcoholic beverages. Firstly, against the background of alcoholic beverages, taking antidepressants can lead to a loss of control over behavior, and secondly, many antidepressants increase the effect of alcoholic beverages on the body. Almost all drugs adversely affect the functioning of the kidneys and liver, which is why you need to try as much as possible to control yourself and follow the recommendations of specialists so that recovery comes as soon as possible.
Against the background of the studies, it should be noted that taking antidepressants such as venlafaxine , paroxetine and sertalin are absolutely safe for the fetus. It has also been found that taking other types of antidepressants in early pregnancy significantly increases the risk of birth defects.
Thus, it should be concluded that antidepressants are complex drugs that should be taken only under the supervision of a doctor and clearly according to the instructions.