jeudi 24 janvier 2013

Even with the Wellbutrin Side Effects, Is it Still a Viable Choice as an Antidepressant?

By Brian Sloan


Sadness, fear, loneliness, and even physical pain - all symptoms of depression, and unless you have experienced it, there is no way to describe it. It's like living in a reality where happiness seems unattainable. But there has been much hope with a welcomed number of antidepressants through the years. Wellbutrin, an interesting medication, that has been around for quite a while, has continued to be prescribed for depression as well as other conditions. But, as the other depression medications, there are several Wellbutrin side effects.

In a moment we can take a look at those. But let's first look at a few of the antidepressant classes on the market today. SSRI's (Selective Seratonin Reuptake Inhibitors are extremely popular today and are prescribed frequently. These include Paxil, Celexa, and Lexapro. The side effects in the SSRI class of medications are considered fairly mild. Speaking and writing of these medications isn't the most exciting for most people. However for depression sufferers, it certainly can be.

SNRIs work by balancing the levels of serotonin and norepinephrine in the brain. These include medications such as Cymbalta, Effexor and Pristiq. In my battle with depression, I have found the SNRIs to be helpful. SNRIs are approved for General Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder and Diabetic Neuropathy. Those suffering from depression deserve as many medication choices as possible.

Well, we also have a class of older antidepressants called the MAOIs (Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors). Well, the problem with these guys is they can have adverse reactions when combined with certain foods and medications. They actually have been found to be fairly effective with panic disorder, agoraphobia, mixed anxiety and depression, bulimia, and other conditions. However, because of the potential for adverse reactions, sometimes these aren't used until other treatments have been tried.

Well, there is a much older class of medications that the doctor prescribed me during my first episode of severe depression. These meds began to be developed in the early 1950s (although it was much, much later when I was prescribed one of those...:). These are the Tricyclic Antidepressants (TCAs). Imipramine, the generic for Tofranil is the one I took. Although really effective in their time, and still can be at times now, most people will opt for the newer class of antidepressants today.

NDRIs have been one of the other big players in the remaining types of antidepressants. Wellbutrin, which I think is a fascinating medication, is one of the primary NDRIs (Norepinephrine-Dopamine Reuptake Inhibitors). The generic for Wellbutrin is Bupropion and is marketed not only as Wellbutrin, but many others including Budeprion, Voxra, and others. Another famous version of this medication is Zyban, marketed as a medication to help one stop smoking. NDRIs work on chemicals in the brain, known as dopamine and norepinephrine. NDRIs help block the reuptake of these chemicals so that more of them will stay in the space between the brain cells which gives those chemicals a better chance of making the receptors on the next nerve cell active. If you fully understand that, you're smarter than me, but they have been effective. These SNRIs are prescribed for many people who do not respond well to the SSRIs. They do have side effects as do many other.. For instance, the Wellbutrin side effects include restlessness, dizziness, trouble sleeping, headaches, weight loss, dry mouth, abnormal dreams, diarrhea, and confusion. Other infrequent side effects include migraine headaches, blurred vision, indigestion, bronchitis, loss of appetite, or increased appetite and frequent urination. Some see a lessened sexual drive while others experience heightened interest in sexual activity. At 54 I'm not sure which is worse...:) Don't wait long when you get depressive symptoms. Get help ASAP. You and your doctor should agree on a choice of treatment. You don't have to live in depression all of the time. You can win!




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