"Persons with cancer, their families and friends, and even their physicians and oncologists (physicians specializing in cancer treatment) may misinterpret depression's warning signs, mistaking them for inevitable accompaniments to cancer."

"For the small number of people for whom MAO inhibitors are the best treatment, it is necessary to avoid certain foods that contain high levels of tyramine, including many cheeses, wines, and pickles, as well as medications such as decongestants."

Antidepressant Medication Side Effects


Before starting a new medication, ask the doctor to tell you about any side effects you may experience. Antidepressants may cause mild and, usually, temporary side effects (sometimes referred to as adverse effects) in some people. Typically, these are annoying, but not serious. However, any unusual reactions or side effects, or those that interfere with functioning, should be reported to the doctor immediately.

The most common side effects of the newer antidepressants (SSRIs and others) are:

* Headache will usually go away.
* Nausea also temporary, but even when it occurs, it is short lived after each dose.
* Insomnia and nervousness (trouble falling asleep or waking often during the night) may occur during the first few weeks but are usually resolved over time or with a reduction in dosage.
* Agitation (feeling jittery) notify your doctor if this happens for the first time after the drug is taken and is persistent.
* Sexual problems consult your doctor if the problem is persistent or worrisome. Although depression itself can lower libido and impair sexual performance, SSRIs and some other antidepressants can provoke sexual dysfunction. These side effects can affect more than half of adults taking SSRIs. In men, common problems include reduced sexual drive, erectile dysfunction, and delayed ejaculation. For some men, dosage reductions or acquired tolerance to the medication reduce sexual dysfunction symptoms. Although changing from one SSRI to another has generally not been shown to be beneficial, one study showed that citalopram (Celexa) did not seem to cause sexual impairment in patients who had experienced such events with another SSRI.

Some clinicians treating men with antidepressant associated sexual dysfunction report improvement with the addition of bupropion (Wellbutrin) or sildenafil (Viagra) to ongoing treatment. Be sure to discuss the various options with your doctor and inquire about other interventions that can help.

Tricyclic antidepressants have different types of side effects:

* Dry mouth drinking sips of water, chewing sugarless gum, and cleaning teeth daily is helpful.
* Constipation adding bran cereals, prunes, fruit, and vegetables to your diet should help.
* Bladder problems emptying the bladder may be troublesome, and the urine stream may not be as strong as usual; notify your doctor if there is marked difficulty or pain. This side effect may be particularly problematic in older men with enlarged prostate conditions.
* Sexual problems sexual functioning may change; men may experience some loss of interest in sex, difficulty in maintaining an erection or achieving orgasm. If they are worrisome, discuss these side effects youre your doctor.
* Blurred vision will pass soon and will not usually necessitate a new glasses prescription.
* Dizziness rising from the bed or chair slowly is helpful.
* Drowsiness as a daytime problem usually passes soon. If you feel drowsy or sedated you should not drive or operate heavy equipment. The more sedating antidepressants are generally taken at bedtime to help sleep and minimize daytime drowsiness.

"Psychotherapy can be helpful in cases of normal depression and can help insure the condition does not become chronic."

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Article in occasional series Troubled Children: A Family Copes; profile of 10-year old Haley Abaspour, whose illness has been diagnosed as combination of bipolar disorder with psychotic features, obsessive-compulsive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder and Tourette's Syndrome, dominates every moment of her family's life; at least six million American children are diagnosed as having serious mental disorders; most are treated with psychiatric medications and therapy and even special schools, ...
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Increasing numbers of children are being treated for psychiatric problems, but naming those problems remains more an art than a science.
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In its extreme forms compulsive buying may be a psychiatric illness — an impulse control disorder associated with abnormal levels of depression and anxiety.
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After seven years of rocket fire, sometimes sporadic and sometimes intense, Sderot, a working-class Israeli town, has turned into a city of fear.
SELF-NONMEDICATION
When my life fell apart, I started taking an antidepressant — then got off it on my own.

"Any herbal supplement should be taken only after consultation with the doctor or other health care provider."

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"Antianxiety drugs or sedatives are not antidepressants but they are sometimes prescribed along with antidepressants; however, they are not effective when taken alone for a depressive disorder."

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"Herbal supplements frequently used that have not been evaluated in large-scale clinical trials are ephedra, gingko biloba, echinacea, and ginseng."

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"Some people who have not had a problem with alcohol use may be permitted by their doctor to use a modest amount of alcohol while taking one of the newer antidepressants."

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"The doctor should check regularly the dosage of each medicine and its effectiveness."