Antidepressants: What Every Patient Needs to Know

By Meridith Berk

According to the FDA, “No matter your age, before you take an antidepressant, you, your parent, or your caregiver should talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of treating your condition with an antidepressant or with other treatments.”

Over 27 million Americans now take antidepressant medications.

When prescribing a new medication, two thirds of doctors do not talk to their patients about adverse side effects. Patients and caregivers deserve to have this information.

This book includes the side effects, overdose symptoms, withdrawal symptoms, important warnings and adverse reactions connected with antidepressant drugs.

Difficult to understand terms are simply defined in the over 500 word glossary.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Meridith Berk
• Release date: Jun 15, 2011
• ISBN: 9781452496139

Meridith Berk

Meridith Berk has been researching writing about natural solutions to life's physical and emotional troubles for the last several years. Her purpose is to give patients and caregivers accurate and understandable information about drug-free, natural solutions.With her educational series, "The Educated Patient" Meridith warns of the dangers connected with pharmaceuticals and offers the straight "dope" about some types of medical drugs, without the medical jargon.Through her research Meridith found that even the most educated patient frequently has little knowledge about the highly effective, natural solutions that are available.With all the information in hand patients can work far better with their doctors to get the best, most natural and least potentially harmful solutions to their problems.

Book preview

Antidepressants: What Every Patient Needs to Know

Compiled and

Written in Plain English by

Meridith Berk

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2011 Meridith Berk

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

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Table of Contents

Introduction

Antidepressant Drugs - Brand Name / Generic Name

Adapin / doxepin

Anafranil / clomipramine

Aplenzin / bupropion

Asendin / amoxapine

Aventyl / nortriptyline

Buproban / bupropion

Budeprion XL / bupropion

Celexa / citalopram

Cymbalta / duloxetine

Desyrel / trazodone

Effexor / venlafaxine

Elavil / amitriptyline

Emsam / Selegiline

Lexapro / escitalopram

Ludiomil / maprotiline

Luvox / fluvoxamine

Marplan / isocarboxazid

Nardil / phenelzine

Norpramin / desipramine

Oleptro / trazodone ER

Pamelor / nortriptyline

Parnate / tranylcypromine

Paxil / paroxetine

Pexeva / paroxetine-mesylate

Pristiq / desvenlafaxine

Prozac / fluoxetine

Remeron / mirtazapine

Savella / milnacipran

Selfemra / fluoxetine

Serzone / nefazodone

Sarafem / fluoxetine

Silenor / doxepin

Sinequan / doxepin

Surmontil / trimipramine

Surmontin / trimipramine

Tofranil / imipramine

Tofranil PM / imipramine pamoate

Viibryd / vilazodone

Vivactil / protriptyline

Wellbutrin / bupropion

Zoloft / sertraline

Zyban / bupropion

Glossary

Final Notes

Disclaimer

Resources

About the Author

Introduction

Every patient has the right to be fully informed of the risks connected to any medication being prescribed. A 2006 study done by the University of California at Los Angeles showed that, when prescribing a new medicine, two thirds of doctors did not say anything about the adverse side effects the medication could cause. Perhaps this is because the doctor didn’t want to scare the patient away from taking the drug. Perhaps it’s because the doctor had no other solution. No matter the reason, a doctor should not hold back from giving his or her patient all the information. This is called informed consent and is a vital part of the practice of medicine. A patient needs the information to make their own decision about taking any drug.

The FDA itself offers this caution:

No matter your age, before you take an antidepressant, you, your parent, or your caregiver should talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of treating your condition with an antidepressant or with other treatments.

One can easily get into the frame of mind regarding side effects of. Well, I’ll get used to it if I have to. This might be workable when it comes to problems like dry mouth, headaches, ringing in the ears and weight gain. However with possible reactions such as hallucinations, muscle spasms and suicidal behavior it becomes more important than ever to be sufficiently informed. Some of these effects can be irreversible. And, after all, it’s not the doctor who is taking the risk.

Most doctors try their best to prescribe the proper drug for the symptoms they see. Relying on pharmaceutical interventions is a common medical practice. When deciding on which drug to prescribe doctors have a large number of choices, but often only a cursory familiarity with the side effects. Sometimes this review comes exclusively from the pharmaceutical companies themselves.

Even inadvertently they can be influenced by drug company propaganda just as a patient can be influenced by drug advertisements. Doctors are busy people and unfortunately frequently get much of the information about the drugs they prescribe from the pharmaceutical representatives who constantly visit their offices and from biased journal articles - or even the drug company ads in the magazines and journals to which they subscribe.

Included in this book are side effects, overdose symptoms, information on dependency and addiction and other important warnings attached to each of the most frequently prescribed antidepressant drugs.

The lists of side effects and other warnings have been gathered from government websites and materials as well as popular online portals like Drugs.com and eMedTV.com. All of these take their information from the drug companies that produce and market the drugs. In some cases I’ve added additional material from other sources such as detoxification and drug treatment centers.

Included is a list of the most frequently reported adverse reactions or adverse events connected with each medication.

After a drug has been approved by the FDA to be marketed and prescribed to the general public additional problems related to the medication frequently come to light. These are supposed to get reported to the FDA’s Medwatch database. (In reality, only a small fraction ever gets reported.) This reporting area and its database are called the Adverse Events Reporting System or AERS.

These adverse reactions sometimes get reported under the generic drug name and sometimes under the brand name. I’ve included both, listing around 20 frequently reported reactions for each.

Many drugs have had hundreds of different reactions reported in connection with their usage. The full list of adverse reactions for each drug can be found (with difficulty) by visiting the Medwatch web site. You’ll find a link to this web site in the resources section at the back of this book. I’ve also included a special link for readers to the PrescriptionDrugProblems.com where you will find links to pages with the top 200 reported adverse reactions for each of these drugs.

The terms used by the drug companies and FDA to describe the various side effects and other problems related to prescription drugs are written in medical terminology which is, to say the least, difficult to understand. It should be mandatory for companies to use regular, understandable English when describing to patients or caregivers the potential problems related their drugs. We did not all go to medical school. At the end of the book is a glossary where you will find simple, English definitions for many of the terms used in this book.

Side effects and other negative reactions to antidepressants don’t happen to everyone. They do happen to some. If one of these happens to you or a loved one it’s best to be aware of the symptoms early so you can talk to your doctor about alternatives.

Warning: No one should try to go off antidepressants cold turkey. This can be very dangerous. Find a doctor who is sympathetic with your desire to come off these drugs. He or she can guide you safely through the process.

Drugs by Brand Name

Brand Name: Adapin

Generic Name: doxepin

Side Effects

Doxepin may cause side effects. Call your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:

Nausea

Drowsiness

Weakness or tiredness

Nightmares

Dry mouth

Skin more sensitive to sunlight than usual

Changes in appetite or weight

Constipation

Difficulty urinating

Frequent urination

Blurred vision

Changes in sex drive or ability

Excessive sweating

If you experience any of the following symptoms or those listed in the important warnings section, call your doctor immediately:

Jaw, neck, and back muscle spasms

Slow or difficult speech

Shuffling walk

Uncontrollable shaking of a part of the body

Fever

Difficulty breathing or swallowing

Rash

Yellowing of the skin or eyes

Irregular heartbeat

Dependency and Addiction

This drug is not known to be addicting. However do not abruptly discontinue using it and always consult with a doctor who can taper you off the drug gradually and help you watch for withdrawal symptoms.

Withdrawals

Although doxepin is not addicting, withdrawal symptoms after abrupt discontinuation may occur.

These symptoms include:

Hypertension

Tachycardia

Restlessness

Abdominal Distress

According to Drugs.com a case of doxepin withdrawal mania has been reported

Important Warnings

The Black Box Label placed by the FDA on antidepressants including doxepin includes an extensive list of serious, life-threatening potential consequences. There is a tendency among medical professionals and of course with the pharmaceutical and psychiatric industry to downplay these warnings. Don’t be fooled. These are real. They do happen and have happened to real people. The FDA does not place warnings like these lightly.

This Black Box Label includes the following warnings. Note that this is not the complete Black Box Label. That can be found at the FDA MedlinePlus website listed in the resources section at the end of this booklet.

* Children, teenagers, and young adults who take antidepressants to treat depression or other mental illnesses may be more likely to become suicidal than children, teenagers, and young adults who do not take antidepressants to treat these conditions.

* You should know that your mental health may change in unexpected ways when you take doxepin or other antidepressants even if you are an adult over 24 years of age. You may become suicidal, especially at the beginning of your treatment and any time that your dose is increased or decreased.

* You, your family, or your caregiver should call your doctor right away if you experience any of the following symptoms: Make sure someone around you such as a family member or friend or caregiver knows these symptoms so they can call the doctor if you are unable to seek treatment on your own.

Acting without thinking

Aggressive behavior

Agitation (suddenly violent and forceful, emotionally disturbed state of mind)

Difficulty falling asleep

Difficulty staying asleep

Extreme worry

Frenxied or abnormal excitement

Irritability

New or worsening depression

Panic attacks

Planning to kill yourself

Severe restlessness

Thinking about harming yourself

Thinking about killing yourself

Trying to kill yourself

Adverse Events reported under the names of both Adapin and doxepin

Nausea

Completed suicide

Headache

Depression

Pain

Drug ineffective

Anxiety

Dizziness

Dyspnoea

Hypertension

Vomiting

Fatigue

Chest pain

Drug toxicity

Insomnia

Diabetes

Somnolence

Pain in extremity

Back pain

Myocardial infarction

Convulsion

Suicide attempt

Overdose

Arthralgia

Loss of consciousness

Tremor

Multiple drug overdose

Hypoaesthesia

Cardiac arrest

Death

Drug dependence

Suicidal ideation

Feeling abnormal

Amnesia

Intentional overdose

Blood pressure increased

Palpitations

Panic attack

Neuropathy peripheral

Migraine

Gait disturbance

Nervousness

Overdose Signs and Symptoms

Breathing slowed and labored

Urinary hesitancy

Blurred vision

Ringing in the ears

Irregular heartbeat

Low blood pressure

Shock

Constipation

Dry mouth

Nausea

Unpleasant taste

Vomiting

Agitation

Coma

Confusion

Convulsions

Drowsiness

Headache

Incoordination

Muscle rigidity

Restlessness

Seizures

Stupor

Skin that is unusually sensitive to light

Brand Name: Anafranil

Generic Name: clomipramine

Side Effects

Clomipramine may cause side effects. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:

Drowsiness

Dry mouth

Nausea

Vomiting

Diarrhea

Constipation

Nervousness

Decreased sexual ability

Decreased memory or concentration

Headache

Stuffy nose

Change in appetite or weight

Some side effects may be serious. If you experience any of the following symptoms or those listed in the important warnings section, call your doctor immediately:

Uncontrollable shaking of a part of the body

Seizures

Fast, irregular, or pounding heartbeat

Difficulty urinating or loss of bladder control

Believing things that are not true

Hallucinations (seeing things or hearing voices that do not exist)

Eye pain

Shakiness

Difficulty breathing or fast breathing

Severe muscle stiffness

Unusual tiredness or weakness

Sore throat, fever, and other signs of infection

Dependancy and Addiction

Do not stop taking clomipramine without talking to your doctor. If you suddenly stop taking clomipramine, you may experience withdrawal symptoms.

Withdrawals

Clomipramine withdrawal symptoms may include but are not limited to:

Aggression

Anxiety

Balance issues

Blurred vision

Brain zaps

Concentration impairment

Constipation

Crying spells

Depersonalization

Diarrhea

Dizziness

Electric shock sensations

Fatigue

Feeling highly emotional

Flatulence

Flu-like symptoms

Hallucinations

Hostility

Indigestion

Irritability

Impaired speech,

Insomnia

Jumpy nerves

Lack of coordination

Lethargy,

Migraine headaches / increased headaches

Nausea

Nervousness

Over-reacting to situations

Paranoia

Repetitive thoughts or songs

Sensory & sleep disturbances

Severe internal restlessness (akathasia)

Speech changes

Stomach cramps

Tremors

Tinnitus (ear ringing or buzzing)

Tingling sensations

Troubling thoughts

Visual hallucinations

Vivid dreams

Visual changes

Worsened depression

Important Warnings

The Black Box Label placed by the FDA on antidepressants including clomipramine includes an extensive list of serious, life-threatening potential consequences. There is a tendency among medical professionals and of course with the pharmaceutical and psychiatric industry to downplay these warnings. Don’t be fooled. These are real. They do happen and have happened to real people. The FDA does not place warnings like these lightly.

This Black Box Label includes the following warnings. Note that this is not the complete Black Box Label. That can be found at the FDA MedlinePlus website listed in the resources section at the end of this booklet.

* Children, teenagers, and young adults who take antidepressants to treat depression or other mental illnesses may be more likely to become suicidal than children, teenagers, and young adults who do not take antidepressants to treat these conditions.

* You should know that your mental health may change in unexpected ways when you take