The starting dose of fluoxetine for depression is 20mg, taken daily. However, it’s also used to treat obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), panic disorder and eating disorders such as bulimia. Today, it’s one of the widely used prescription medications in the country.įluoxetine is usually prescribed to treat depression. Fluoxetine (Prozac)įluoxetine, the active ingredient in Prozac, was the first SSRI to come onto the US market. By blocking the reabsorption of serotonin by the brain, SSRIs can increase the amount of serotonin that’s active in your body at any time, helping to improve mood and treat depression. Low levels of serotonin are associated with mood disorders such as depression and anxiety. Experts believe that these functions include regulating mood, memory, social behavior, sleep and sexual desire, among others. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that’s responsible for a range of functions within the body. SSRIs work by increasing the amount of serotonin in the brain.
This improved safety and convenience has made them most healthcare professionals’ first choice for treating depression.Įxplore services start evaluation How SSRIs Work Compared to older antidepressants, most SSRIs are safer, easier to use and less likely to cause unpleasant side effects. Medications like Prozac® (fluoxetine), Zoloft® (sertraline), Paxil® (paroxetine) and Lexapro® (escitalopram) all belong to this class of medications. If you’ve looked into depression medication before, you’ve probably already heard of some of the most common SSRIs. As well as being widely used as a treatment for depression, SSRIs are prescribed to treat panic disorders, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), social anxiety disorder (SAD) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).Ĭertain SSRIs are also prescribed to treat conditions such as premenstrual dysphoric disorder and anorexia. SSRIs are used to treat a large range of psychiatric disorders. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs, are the most common type of antidepressants prescribed in the United States.
Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) We’ve also listed some of the most common medications within each class of depression treatments. Serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs)Īlthough this list can look confusing, the way in which most antidepressants work in the body is relatively easy to understand.īelow, we’ve explained how these antidepressants work. Other common types of depression medications include:
Today, most of the medications prescribed to treat depression belong to a class of drugs called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Over the years, researchers have developed a range of newer antidepressants that are more effective at improving depression symptoms and less likely to produce side effects. These chemicals are responsible for regulating a variety of biological functions in the body, including your mood.Īntidepressant medications have been used since the 1950s. Most antidepressants are thought to work by adjusting the quantity of certain chemicals in the brain and body called neurotransmitters. They’re some of the most widely used medications in the world.Īccording to the American Psychological Association, in 2017 as many as 12.7 percent of people aged 12 and over in the United States used antidepressants. Medications used to treat depression are known as antidepressants.
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