I'll start off with SSRIs, aka Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors. They can be used for a variety of psych/mh needs. They are the first line drug for treating DEPRESSION (i.e. MDD, depression in bipolar) and can be used to treat anxiety, PTSD, and acute stress disorder.
SSRIs will take 1-4 weeks of daily usage to notice a real change in mood.
How do they work? They inhibit the reuptake of serotonin! Basically, they do not allow the reabsorbtion of serotonin to occur, so more serotonin is available and can be utilized. Hmmm...let's think: serotonin is the neurotransmitter involved with the regulation of sleep, with appetite and with libido. People with less that average/normal amounts of serotonin could present with: insomnia, hypersomnia (can't regulate sleep), recent weight gain or loss (a criteria for dx of depression...bingo!) because of change in appetite, and decreased sex drive (hmmm...anhedonia, anyone?). I GET IT. Increasing the level of serotonin helps even these symptoms out.
Ok, so how about SIDE EFFECTS? Not as many as with some other drugs, although there are still some. We should always assess for suicide, and this is no exception. Although some SSRIs don't necessarily increase suicide risk further than it already was, still monitor, especially in patients taking Celexa (citalopram). These can make you sleepy....or hyper. Give at bedtime or in the morning, depending on the drug. GUESS WHAT? Giving these meds at bedtime also helps with other side effects(GI stuff), because patients can sleep them off. Encourage them to drink water during the day.
SERIOUS SIDE EFFECT? Serotonin Syndrome = Abdominal pain, diarrhea, sweating, fever, elevated HR and BP, delerium, muscle spasms... even death. THIS IS BAD. THIS IS AN EMERGENCY.
NAMES? Just recognize these are SSRIs for now. I'll think of something clever later.
Lexapro
Luvox
Prozac
Paxil
Zoloft
Celexa
That's SSRIs. Study them. Know them. Love them.
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