As per psychotherapy, antidepressants are commonly prescribed treatments for depression-related disorders. Initially, 4 out of 10 antidepressant people get to experience the beneficial effects after trying more than one antidepressant. Most people eventually find the right one for them.
In the U.S.A, 19.4 million adults have one of the major depression disorders. If you are one of them and consume antidepressants, you may be living with some common side effects that are caused by these medicines, such as:-
- Weight gain
- Nausea
- Sleep problems
- Sexual problems
- Fatigue
- Dry mouth
- Constipation or diarrhoea
- Headaches
- Anxiety
The type of side effects caused depends on the type of antidepressants you have been consuming and depends from individual to individual. For many people, the side effects of antidepressants become less severe for a person, but the same side effects become severe for the other person and some may not even experience any of them.
According to a study, 33% of people surveyed stopped consuming antidepressants because they started experiencing side effects. It was also reported that they stopped consuming the drug suddenly, causing the symptoms and antidepressants withdrawal symptoms.
How Can You Increase The Effectiveness Of Antidepressants?
Consume antidepressants only after consulting the doctor. Do not take this lightly. Antidepressants are not like other common medicines, it may even cause side effects if you do not stop them correctly. Below are some points that will help you find the right antidepressant for you:-
In case you ever consumed the medicine in your past, and it worked well in resolving your complication, that medicine might be the right choice for you.
In the case of antidepressants, blood relation matters. If any of your blood relatives have consumed any antidepressants and found them effective, then the chance of the medicine being effective for you increases. In such a case, your doctor may recommend you to follow the trend.
Additionally, the choice of antidepressants also depends on your prevailing health condition at the time of treatment. The same goes while determining the dose of the antidepressants. Therefore, make sure you tell the doctor about all your health complications as well.
The risk associated with antidepressants can be reduced if you consume the medicine for less duration of time. Talk to your doctor, he will guide you with some antidepressants with minimum side effects. Antidepressants are costly as compared to other medicines.
Inform the doctor if you are under any prevailing medical treatment while taking antidepressants. Apart from medication, some precautions need to be taken in case of diet.
Some precautions need to be kept in mind before consuming some antidepressants because some of them may not be that effective if you consume some food items. Hence, ask your doctor about any precautions that you might have to take before consuming the antidepressants.
You will start feeling its effects if your antidepressant is working, you will be able to have a quality sleep and feel more energetic to meet your daily needs. In addition, you will start loving and caring about yourself. Your appetite will reach normal with a desire to engage yourself in life. Though it may take some time for your friends and family to notice your change, just be patient.
Antidepressants are a drug for treating depression; thus they will work more efficiently if you try to change your lifestyle. These medicines work best when you try to have an active lifestyle by performing exercise, quality sleep, and a healthy diet. Thus, for best results, your doctor may ask you to consult with a counsellor to help you reduce your depression symptoms.
Some men with antidepressants have erection difficulty and try to self medicate with pills like Fildena without knowing the consequences. Fildena contains Sildenafil Citrate, which affects the blood flow rate and the heart’s function. If men with any other health complications, especially cardiovascular disease, consume Fildena or any Sildenafil tablet, there is a risk of having side effects. Sildenafil(Fildena) interacts with a nitrate group of drugs commonly prescribed to blood pressure patients.
How Should You Take Antidepressants?
Antidepressants are usually taken every day and may take 1 or 2 months to feel the results. Since antidepressants are of various types, you may have to try different varieties in order to know the best one for you.
Your doctor will tell you better how long you may need to take the antidepressant. In case this is when you are consuming antidepressants for the first time, you may have to continue with the medicine for at least 6 months after you begin to feel better.
If this is the second time, you might have to continue with the medicine for a year. Even if you feel depressed for the third time, you may have to take it for a longer time. It is essential to consult with the doctor before you stop consuming the drug, as a sudden stop in taking medicine can lead to antidepressant discontinuation syndrome. Your doctor will help you resolve these symptoms.
Note: Never try self medications. Some men have difficulty with erection and try to self medicate through common pills like Fildena or Viagra. Even though you know the medicine, consult with the doctor first before consuming.
Can You Mix Antidepressants With Alcohol?
In general, avoid mixing antidepressants and alcohol as it may worsen your symptoms and can put your health at risk, such as:-
Depression or anxiousness. Many antidepressants interact with alcohol, worsening the symptoms. While in some cases consuming alcohol may help you ease your symptoms for a temporary period of time, overall it can worsen depression and anxiety symptoms.
There are possibilities of drug interaction and alcohol interaction with antidepressants. Antidepressants may even interact with other prevailing medicines if any. Such medicines include anti-anxiety pills, sleep medicines and some pain killers. Additionally, side effects may worsen if you drink alcohol or any medicine with an antidepressant without consulting the doctor.
In some cases, men have an erection difficulty due to depression and the medication for it. In order to overcome, some try to self medicate with commonly known pills like Fildena. However, even if you don’t have depression, consuming alcohol with Fildena(Sildenafil Citrate) causes side effects. Here are some cases of taking alcohol with Antidepressants, and Fildena will cause severe side effects. Therefore, an antidepressant person should consult the doctor before consuming any alcohol or medicine, even if it’s commonly known as Fildena.
Some types of antidepressants need special care, just like monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs). Such antidepressants cause a dangerous spike in blood pressure. It is even sensitive to certain alcoholic beverages and food items. If you are taking MAOIs, be in regular checkups with the doctor.
Not consuming antidepressants as per the prescribed guidelines may affect your thinking and alertness. In addition, combining both alcohol and antidepressants may worsen your judgment and coordination skills, motor and reaction time. In some cases, the caused side effects may make you sleepy. This will affect your concentration power and day to day activity.
Some of the antidepressants may also cause sedation and drowsiness, and so does happen as a result of alcohol interaction, and their combined effect can be even worse.
