New Research # 11, Be aware of these medications.
Be aware of these medications is the topic of our today’s article. It is a common practice in our country to take some medications like Aspirin, Panadol and pain killers without the consultation of a qualified doctors. People usually go to a medical store and ask the sales man to give them medicine for fever, cold, cough and headache . This is totally wrong practice. We should consult a qualified doctor for our even mild health conditions. This article ” Be aware of these medications” will point out some medications which can increase the risk of depression.
Contents :
- Know the side effects of your medication.
- Common medications can cause depression.
- Some other medications.
- Signs of depression.
- The last words
Know the side effects of your medication.
Every allopathic medicine has its side effects. These side effects are being mentioned in a separate sheet inserted in packing of the medicine. Such specifications are written in different languages. Such language has some medical terms that a common person do not understand. It is the doctor’s responsibility to inform the patient clearly about medicine’s side effects. The best way to know the side effects of a medicine is to write medicine formula , ( written beneath the trade name of medicine) and search it in the google . You can search it on your mobile phone too. Once you experience the signs of depression, consult immediately to your doctor. If a patient is taking more than two medications, the risk of depression becomes double.
Common medications can cause depression.
It is the best way to talk with your doctor about the side effects of a certain medicine you are going to take. Below are some common medications which are available over the counter for depression.
Singulair :
Montelukast Tablets
Montelukast is a medication that prevents and treats the symptoms of asthma and allergies. It decreases inflammation in your airways. This makes it easier to breathe. You should not use this medication to treat a sudden asthma attack. The brand name for this medication is Singulair®.Singulair has an FDA strong warning for increased risk of suicidal ideation and behavior. It is better not to give this medicine to younger children as they will not recognize the symptoms. Any change in mood, unusual agitation , hallucination, restlessness, trouble sleeping, bad or vivid dreams, any mood and behavior changes must be brought in the notice of the doctor.
Steroids
Steroids or Corticosteroids are used to treat inflammation in Asthma and allergic reactions , skin conditions and post organ transplant to prevent rejection.
Steroids imitate the body’s natural stress hormone “cortisol”. They also lower the level of serotonin. Serotonin is a chemical in the brain which control the mood regulation. Steroids effect on another chemical GABA ( gamma- amino butyric acid ) . This chemical controls anxiety and stress. When GABA is reduced, depression, irritation, anxiety appears. It also decrease pain perception in some cases.
Disturbed sleep is also a common side effect of steroids. This will lead to fatigue, depression and anxiety if not treated. If you have insomnia from steroids, take them in the morning.
Doctor advise not to stop taking steroid at once. If you do so , it will lead to start the complaint again.
Stimulants:
Stimulants trigger the central nervous system making it flooded with dopamine. ( Dopamine is responsible for allowing you to feel pleasure, satisfaction and motivation. When you feel good that you have achieved something, it’s because you have a surge of dopamine in the brain.) To reset the excess amount of dopamine, the brain remove the dopamine receptors to keep the extra level of brain chemicals. This happens automatically in the brain.
Stimulants like Adderall and Ritalin which are used to treat ADHD ( ADHD is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders of childhood. It is usually first diagnosed in childhood and often lasts into adulthood. Children with ADHD may have trouble paying attention, controlling impulsive behaviors may act without thinking about what the result will be), or be overly active ). They work to increase serotonin ( Serotonin plays several roles in your body, including influencing learning, memory, happiness as well as regulating body temperature, sleep, sexual behavior and hunger. Lack of enough serotonin is thought to play a role in depression, anxiety, mania and other health conditions), norepinephrine ( First identified in the 1940s by Swedish physiologist Ulf von Euler, norepinephrine, also known as noradrenaline, is a neurotransmitter of the brain that plays an essential role in the regulation of arousal, attention, cognitive function, and stress reactions ) and dopamine ( Dopamine is responsible for allowing you to feel pleasure, satisfaction and motivation. When you feel good that you have achieved something, it’s because you have a surge of dopamine in the brain ) levels in the body. When the level of these brain chemicals is low, the symptoms of anxiety, fatigue and disturbed sleep appear.
As the time pass our brain is no longer able to produce an exact copy of its normal process of transmission, production and absorption of these natural brain chemicals, as the central nervous system expects from the medications to do that role and do it very well. If the medication do not produce such chemicals, the natural level of these mood regulating neurotransmitters are upset by the presence of stimulants . The unbalanced levels of these brain chemicals affect appetite, sleep, mood and emotion.
SSRIs and SNRIs
SSRIs (Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are a widely used type of antidepressant medication.
They’re mainly prescribed to treat depression, particularly persistent or severe cases, and are often used in combination with a talking therapy such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).
SSRIs are usually the first choice medication for depression because they generally have fewer side effects than most other types of antidepressant.
SNRIs:
Serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) are a class of medications that are effective in treating depression.
SNRIs are also sometimes used to treat other conditions, such as anxiety disorders and long-term (chronic) pain, especially nerve pain.
SNRIs may be helpful if you have chronic pain in addition to depression.
A warning from FDA is printed on the packing of all ant depression medications including SSRIs and SNRIs medication that use of such medication has a risk of increased suicidal thoughts and behavior in young adults under 25 years old at the beginning of treatment or any change of doses any time.
Some other medications.
Beside the above mentioned medications , some other common medication have the risk of depression. These are:
- Beta-blockers : Atenolol, Carvedilol, Metoprolol.
- Benzodiazepines : Alprazolam, Diazepam, Clonazepam.
- Anticonvulsants: Lamotrigine, Phenytoin.
- Anticholinergic drugs : Benztropine, Dicyclomine, Scopolamine .
- Parkinson’s disease drug: Sine met ( carbidopa/levodopa ).
- Hormone-altering drugs: Hormonal contraceptives.
- Proton pump inhibitors & H2 blockers: Pantoprazole (PPI), Famotidine ( H2 blocker).
- Statin & other cholesterol-lowering drugs: Atorvastatin, Simvastatin.
- some pain killer drugs such as Hydrocodone , Tramadol & Benzodiazepines ( Xanax, Valium ) have side effects of depression.
Signs of depression:
There are no clear and fixed signs of depression caused by medications. Symptoms are changed as mood change due to life stress and hormonal fluctuations. Any how, some potential signs of depression caused by medications are:
- Change in sleep, energy level and mood.
- Feelings of sadness, hopelessness or a loss of interest or pleasure in doing things.
- Thoughts or attempts at self-harm.
Warning : if suicidal ideas turn into thoughts of a plan, call immediately 1122 (in Pakistan only). Explain your symptoms and feelings. If it happens due to a new medication, let the authorities know about it.
When starting a new medications, it is advised to keep a diary and write down any change in mood . Any new symptom or feelings must be noted in the diary. Writing down such information like what and when feelings or symptoms appear, what they are, when they started and make then worse. These informations will help your doctor to find out if a specific medication is causing depression as its side effects. Your doctor will decide the time and quantity of dose to take. Follow your doctor’s instructions.
source: healthline.com
Last words. I always pray to All-Mighty Allah to bless every body with good health and success in their lives.
3 Responses
Dalam merawat bayi 6 bulan, tidak hanya nutrisi dan tidur yang perlu diperhatikan, tapi juga stimulasi perkembangan motorik dan kebersihan bayi.
Thanks a lot for contacting us. Kindly write your comments in English language. Thanks again.
There is definately a lot to find out about this subject. I like all the points you made