Before seeing a mental health professional, patients should do a little of their own research on the condition they have.
This is especially true if they were diagnosed and referred or are close to 100 percent sure of what they have.
For example, in most cases it’s pretty easy to detect if you or someone else has depression. Some common symptoms are fatigue, feelings of worthlessness and hopelessness, insomnia, lack of interest and desire, and irritability.
Research should include causes, symptoms, treatment and types of medication available. This is to get a better idea of what you’re dealing with and what you think you might need. Even knowing side effects that you know you can’t deal with (like weight gain or insomnia) can help a psychiatrist have a better idea of a medication to prescribe if necessary.
Although it is best to confirm with a doctor, there are many credible sites that have basic medication information, and there are resources that explain how antidepressants work.
A spokeswoman for the American Psychiatric Association said that there really is no best depression medication because it depends on the individual.
However, there are popular antidepressants, and some types (SSRIs, MAOs, TCAs and lithium) of antidepressant medications and individual medications are associated with certain side effects (which could deter some patients and even make the medication less effective for certain individuals).
For example, lithium is considered to have more harmful side effects than other antidepressants, according to an abnormal psychology textbook. SSRIs, which include drugs like fluoxetine (brand name Prozac), are generally the “first choice in drug treatment for depression.”
Cost can be an issue for some antidepressants, but usually a generic version of the brand name becomes available within a couple years. Also, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness website, some medications are available for discounts for needy individuals.
According to www.consumersunion.org, three generic antidepressants in 2005 were found to “save consumers $1,200 a year or more” when compared to brand names.
Some people might worry that a generic version is not as effective as a brand name, but all active ingredients must be the same, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Inactive ingredients can be different though, and this can sometimes affect how the drug is absorbed, according to an MSN article featuring a medical advisor from Harvard Medical School. However, there should be no major differences.
There is an increased effort to provide generic antidepressants and drugs in general to improve affordability, and one example is the approval this year of the generic version of the antidepressant Effexor, which is used to treat major depressive disorder, according to the FDA.
Some things to keep in mind with antidepressants are that they take around a couple of months to take effect. Because of this, some patients may become frustrated and stop taking medication because they feel it isn’t working, but stopping medication cold turkey can have very harmful side effects, including increased depression.
If medication seems to have no effect after a couple months, it might be time to talk to a psychiatrist about trying a new one. Patients should be keeping in touch with a psychiatrist or other mental health professional throughout the process, especially if there are any negative side effects.
Although currently there is no way to tell what effects antidepressants will have long-term, since it takes a longer amount of time to know, there is current research from University of California, Los Angeles that is developing new technology to predict what medications will be most effective and which ones may increase suicidal thoughts and depression instead of curbing them.
If this technology becomes a reality and affordable, it could greatly improve the lives of people with depression, limit frustrations over trying multiple ineffective medications and even prevent suicides.
Talk to your doctor and look at the following resources for more information.
Sources:
http://www.consumersunion.org/pub/core_health_care/001846.html
http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/EmergencyPreparedness/BioterrorismandDrugPreparedness/ucm134451.htm
http://health.msn.com/health-topics/depression/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100196095
http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm217624.htm
Abnormal Psychology: An Integrative Approach by David Barlow and V. Mark Durand
http://www.mentalhealth.umn.edu/medication/antidep_bro.pdf
http://newsroom.ucla.edu/portal/ucla/simple-test-can-detect-signs-of-156361.aspx
http://newsroom.ucla.edu/portal/ucla/ucla-researchers-develop-biomarker-101338.aspx