Brief History Of Development Of The Drug

Chronic intake, the delayed onset of action, drug resistance and numerous side effects force the researchers to look for the new, safe antidepressant strategies (1, 2) with rapid onset and longer time of action.

Zoloft was first introduced to the United States in 1980’s. Another name for Zoloft is sertraline and is in a group of antidepressants called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. At first Zoloft was made to treat major depressive disorder, but as the drug progressed over time it can now treat panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, and premenstrual dysphoric disorder. Zoloft is the most commonly used antidepressant because it works extremely well, it is safe, and its side effects are not as serious as other antidepressants.

Many believe that brain chemistry cannot be solved with a chemical pill. “Mental illness is so much more complicated than any pill that any mortal could invent ” (Wurtzel). Elizabeth Wurtzel, author of Prozac Nation suffered from severe depression until she started taking the first rounds of the new pill prozac. “Sometimes it feels like we're all living in a Prozac nation. The United States of Depression. ” (Wurtzel).

Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) are an older type of antidepressant. Doctors rarely prescribe these as a first-line treatment for depression as they can be more dangerous if an overdose occurs. They also cause more unpleasant side effects than SSRIs and SNRIs.

Some of the most common antidepressants include Prozac, Celexa, Zoloft, Paxil, Remeron and Effexor, these come capsules or tablets, studies show that the effects of these drugs can include: Nervousness and anxiety, Insomnia, Irritability, Violent thoughts and actions, Agitation, Hostility, Suicidal thoughts or suicide, Tremors, Irregular heartbeat, Aggression, Confusion and incoherent thoughts, Paranoia, Hallucinations, Psychosis,

The Pharmaceutical companies have known the effects that SSRI?s have on the individual taking them, and these companies still decided to withhold this information from the Food and Drug Administration. The Big Pharmaceutical companies knew about these side effects and still chose not to release the information to the public as well. BIG PHARM also knew that SSRI?s are not safe for juveniles for these reasons. Instead of the government stopping BIG PHARM they sweep the issues under the rug because of the money that be made.

At first it was the cure all people were looking for. Then it became the drug they were afraid to take. Somewhere between these two extremes lies the truth about the drug Flouxetine, better known as Prozac, the most widely prescribed drug on the globe. It is mainly prescribed to patients suffering from clinical depression. It was first brought to the market in 1988 by the pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly co. Even though it was originally prescribed for depression, it has been prescribed for everything from eating disorders to insomnia. It was first considered the wonder drug of the new decade because of the way it helped depression patients when no other anti-depressant could

These drugs, known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI), affect neurotransmitter serotonin levels by inhibiting the body’s ability to remove serotonin when the brain tells it to.

Doctors also prescribe Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors(SSRI) to individuals suffering from depression, but the same ailment can be treated with amino acid supplements. Some examples of SSRIs are Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft and Celexa. SSRIs increase the amount of serotonin in the synapse by blocking its reabsorption, helping the symptoms of depression improve. According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, benzodiazepines lose their therapeutic anti-anxiety effect after 4 to 6 months of regular use. Dr. White, clinical psychologist and a certified neurotherapist, compares antidepressants to a foreign chemical. She is completely against the use of SSRIs because it blocks the reuptake of the serotonin into the neuron. In simple words,

Psychiatrists, psychologists, doctors and patients alike were presented with a solution in 1987, the year of Prozac’s introduction. Depression medication held a stigma, and was not expected to become a topic of heated debate and ravenous support. The older Tricyclic drugs such as doxepin and nortriptyline were rarely prescribed for more than nine months and caused disruptive side effects such as dizziness, sluggishness, painful dry mouth and weight gain to name a few (Natalie Angier for NY Times News Service). Prozac became a blessing for many, “fluoxetine was far superior… initially considered almost free of side effects” (SSRI Antidepressant Medications: Adverse Effects and Tolerability). Natalie Angler’s article communicates the well-received

the drugs used to treat depression is tricyclic antidepressant ( to fra anil and Elavil,the monoamine oxidase inhibitors ).

One in ten Americans are prescribed an antidepressant that they are told to take daily. Ronald Elson, a psychiatrist at the University of California stated that the use of antidepressants have increased 400% since the 1980s (Lancet, 2004). So what are antidepressants? Antidepressants are a class of drugs to diminish symptoms of depressive disorders, and other conditions such as: Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), bulimia nervosa, and many more. Antidepressants also come in multiple differents forms (Kwon, 2013). There is the most commonly prescribed class called, SSRI (Selective-serotonin reuptake inhibitors), and others being, NDRI (Norepinephrine-dopamine reuptake inhibitors), TCA (Tricyclic antidepressants),

The antidepressant under investigation were were monomine-oxidase inhibitors; mirtazapine; SSRIs; TCAs; trazodone; venlafaxine; duloxetine; agomelatine and reboxetine.

Antidepressants are psychiatric medications that are given to patients with depressive disorders to alleviate symptoms (1). Examples include bupropion (Wellbutrin), fluoxetine (Prozac), paroxetine (Paxil), and sertraline (Zoloft) (2). They can help fix chemical imbalances of neurotransmitters in the brain which cause changes in mood and behaviour. Antidepressants can be used for a wide range of psychiatric conditions, some examples include: social anxiety disorder, anxiety disorders, and dysthymia (mild chronic depression).

The linkage of serotonin to depression has been known for the past five years. From numerous studies, the most concrete evidence of this connection is the decreased concentration of serotonin metabolites like 5-HIAA (5-hydroxyindole acetic acid) in the cerebrospinal fluid and brain tissues of depressed people. If depression, as suggested, is a result of decreased levels of serotonin in the brain, pharmaceutical agents that can reverse this effect should be helpful in treating depressed patients. Therefore, the primary targets of various antidepressant medications are serotonin transports of the brain. Since serotonin is activated when released by neurons into the synapse, antidepressants function at the synapse to enhance serotonin activity. Normally, serotonin's actions in the synapse are terminated by its being taken back into the neuron then releases it at which point "it is either recycled for reuse as a transmitter or broken down into its metabolic by products and transported out of the brain." As a result, antidepressants work to increase serotonin levels at the synapse by blocking serotonin reuptake (2).