Depression Clinic

November 7, 2007

Cymbalta Antidepressant Medication

Filed under: Depression Treatment — toni @ 7:49 am

Cymbalta is a relatively new drug that more and more people are trying with great success!  It’s not an understatement to say that Cymbalta is capable of changing the lives of a great many people. It is a very common drug which is used to treat mental problems like depression, stress, etc.  It’s always exciting when researchers find a drug that no only has the ability to treat something as widespread as depression, but it’s also able to treat the horrendous pains of another health issue altogether.

Cymbalta is usually prescribed for those who suffer from major depressive disorder , though it’s been found through clinical trials that the drug is also highly effective for treating diabetic neuropathy or pain caused by a degeneration of the nerves due to long periods of high glucose levels. There is no doubt that doctors and researchers will continue to find other uses for Cymbalta well into the future.

Cymbalta Antidepressant Medication Side Effects

Talk to your doctor if these side effects are bothersome or do not go away:

  • nausea
  • drowsiness
  • dizziness
  • nervousness
  • insomnia
  • headache
  • increased sweating
  • lightheadedness
  • sexual problems

A few of the most common side effects with this medicine include:

  • nausea
  • dry mouth
  • constipation
  • fatigue
  • somnolence
  • increased sweating

If you experience other bothersome side effects, contact your health care provider.

Cymbalta Warnings/Precautions

  • Patients and their families should be alert to personality changes such as increased agitation or talk of suicide.
  • Do NOT stop taking this medicine without first talking to your doctor.
  • Alcoholic beverages can increase the effects of this medicine and should be avoided.
  • This medicine may cause drowsiness or dizziness.
  • Before taking this medicine, notify your doctor if you have:
    • history of alcohol abuse
    • narrow-angled glaucoma
    • kidney problems
  • Patient should watch for worsening depression or suicidal tendencies. If you are feeling more agitated, talk to your health care professional.
  • Be cautious when driving or performing other hazardous activities.

What happens if I overdose Cymbalta ?

  • Seek emergency medical attention if an overdose is suspected.
  • Symptoms of a Cymbalta overdose may include nausea, vomiting, tremor, agitation, seizures, drowsiness, hyperactivity, and enlarged pupils.

Cymbalta Interactions with other drugs

  • Patients should be advised to inform their physicians if they are taking, or plan to take, any prescription or over-the-counter medications, since there is a potential for interactions.
  • If you are taking a group of medicine called “MAO inhibitors”, they cannont be taken with this medicine. Stop the MAO inhibitor 14 days prior to starting this medicine. Your doctor or pharmacist can assist you with this.
  • Before taking any new medications, either prescription or over-the-counter (OTC), talk to your doctor or pharmacist about mixing medicines.
  • Avoid taking St. John’s Wort with this medicine.

As mentioned above you’ll want to be careful not to mix Cymbalta with MAOI type drugs.  There are also a variety of drugs that you may or may not be able to take in conjunction with Cymbalta these drugs may include:

  • An antiarrhythmic such as flecainide (Tambocor) or propafenone (Rythmol) and possibly others.
  • A tricyclic antidepressant such as amitriptyline (Elavil), imipramine (Tofranil), doxepin (Sinequan), nortriptyline (Pamelor and possibly others in this category.
  • The medication venlafaxine commonly known as Effexor.
  • A phenothiazine such as chlorpromazine (Thorazine), fluphenazine (Prolixin), mesoridazine (Serentil), perphenazine (Trilafon), prochlorperazine (Compazine), and possibly others in this drug category.
  • A quinolone antibiotic such as trovafloxacin (Trovan), ciprofloxacin (Cipro), ofloxacin (Floxin), and other similar drugs.
  • A selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) such as fluoxetine (Prozac, Sarafem), paroxetine (Paxil, Pexeva), fluvoxamine (Luvox), and others.

Storage Condition For Cymbalta

  • Keep this medication in the container it came in, tightly closed, and out of reach of children.
  • Store it at room temperature and away from excess heat and moisture.
  • Throw away any medication that is outdated or no longer needed.

October 20, 2007

Depression and Mood Swings

Filed under: Depression Treatment — toni @ 6:47 am

Depression and mood swings are a common infirmity for those with Borderline Personality Disorder. Major depression is identified by one or more major depressive episodes, which are defined as experiencing two or more weeks of (1) depressed mood and/or (2) loss of interest or pleasure in daily activities. Mood swings are differentiated by periods, generally referred to as episodes, of mania and depression.

Mood disorders may include various symptoms, but the overriding complaint is a disturbance of mood. The turbulences of mood can be feelings of depression or mania. During episodes of depression, one can feel persistent sad and empty moods, loss of interest in activities, feelings of guilt, feelings of unusable and physical ailments such as headaches and chronic pain.

Depression and mood swings are menopause symptom. The imbalance of hormones reasoned by menopause can affect the neurotransmitter, serotonin. Mood related episodes of mania and depression basically recur during a person’s life. When we savor feelings such as happiness, stress, fear, depression or anxiety, the brain releases chemicals called neurotransmitters. It is the manumit and re-absorption of these neurotransmitters which affects how we feel. People who experience anxiety and depression cunjoined disorders can have an imbalance of the neurotransmitters serotonin, norepenephrine, GABA and dopamine.

Anxiety, psychosis, or consiquent abuse may also be found in a mood disorder but the overriding medical presentation is that of a disturbance of mood. Vitamin B complex in affiliation with magnesium can help your body to deal with the physical and emotional stress related with depression. Anti-depressant means a group of drugs which especifically address the chemicals in the brain that affect mood, in such a way as to alleviate depression.

The medications usually work by repercussing the effect that specific neurotransmitters have on the central nervous system (CNS). These neurotransmitters are Serotonin, Norepenephrine, Epenephrine, and Dopamine. Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors (MAOI) are an older class of antidepressants. People on MAOIs must avoid foods that are high in tyramine.

Depression and Mood Swings Treatment Tips

1. Cognitive therapy helps the depressed person.

2. Vitamin B complex in conjunction with magnesium can help your body to deal with the physical and emotional stress.

3. Electroconvulsive Therapy effective treatment for depression.

4. Depression Light Therapy also usually treatment depression.

5. Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS Therapy) also usually treatment depression

6. Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation can help your body to deal with the physical and emotional stress.

August 14, 2007

Anti-Depression Home Treatment

Filed under: Depression Treatment — toni @ 6:22 am

Anti-Depressive

Put a handful of fresh chopped rosemary into a bottle of white wine. Let sit about 4 days. Strain and use by the tablespoon as needed. Delicious! How could you stay depressed while taking so much pleasure from a taste sensation?

Anti-Depressive and Headache Reliever

Pour 2 cups boiling water over 3 teaspoons dried primrose flowers and leaves. Let stand covered about 15 minutes. Strain and sweeten. Drink warm or hot (reheat as needed.) An older mend of mine has used this as an aid for over thirty years, so it must be very effective for her to have used it for so long.

July 21, 2007

What is Depression ?

Filed under: Depression — toni @ 2:02 pm

What is Depression ?Depressive disease is a medical disease that affects feelings, thoughts, behaviour, physical health, interpersonal relationship, job performance, sex life and other behaviour patterns of the affected person day after day. Depressive disease is not just “feeling of hopelessness”. It is more than being sad or feeling grieved about a loss.

Depressive disease is universal and has been prevalent in the society since time immemorial. Its clinical features were described in ancient Indian literature by Sudarka, a renowned playwright of the 2nd century B.C. Depressive disease is prevalent in people of every country and every culture, affecting both the sexes and sparing neither the rich nor the poor. It torments all ages, forcing the exit of some through self destruction (suicide) and steadfastly maintaining its core clinical features down the centuries.

The term “Depression” is so commonly used in everyday parlance that it fails to convince the people around that “Depression” could be a disease in itself. The depth and the intensity of Depressive disease is usually not recognised and not appreciated by the family members of the sufferer and the people around him. Depressive disease is in fact one of the most agonizing illnesses and its real intensity is experienced only by the sufferer.

Depressive feeling is a sad, hopeless feeling lasting for a short period, usually as a reaction to some frustrating or emotionally upsetting event. The feeling is overcome by person himself within a short period, mostly without the help of others. The feeling is turned to happiness by pleasing events. The routine work and the responsibilities are continued to be performed without difficulties. The symptoms and signs of Depressive disease are similar to those in adult cases. The children are more irritable, have less depressive moods, instead of weight loss, there is a failure to gain weight. The children have more physical symptoms like unexplained headaches, pain in abdomen, generalised body aches, fatigue and tiredness.

In Depressive disease, the sad, gloomy mood remains for a long period, the whole day, day after day. The mood is not Lifted by pleasant events. The work and or responsibilities suffer. In addition, one or more of the following areas are also affected: thoughts, behaviour, physical health, interpersonal relationship, job performance, social life, etc. Depressive disease requires proper medical treatment.

Death of a family member of the normal person will lead to depressive feelings. In the majority of such cases, the depressive feelings remain for 2-3 days. The person resumes responsibilities and routine work within a week. But if the reaction of the person remains for 3 to 4 weeks or longer (crying, suicidal ideas, loss of appetite, sleeplessness, not going to work, pensive mood etc. then this is Depressive disease which requires medical treatment. This is not just so called normal reaction to death but is much more than normal reaction as in the case of “bereaved father”.

Depression Causes and Risk Factors

Filed under: Depression — toni @ 1:59 pm

Depression results from an imbalance in the chemical messengers in the brain which the nerve cells use to communicate with each other. Depression is associated with low levels of two of teh chemical messengers, serotonin and noradrenalin.

For some people, low mood is a response to shortening day length. In seasonal affective disorder, depression starts in the autumn and continues until the spring. During summer the person is usually free of any depressive symptoms. This pattern of depressive episodes is associated with carbohydrate craving and weight gain rather than loss. SAD responds to light treatment although sometimes drug treatment with SSRI type of antidepressant is needed. Even depressed people who do not have pure SAD often feel worse during the winter months.

There is no single cause for Depressive disease. In fact, Depressive disease is a result of a combination of many factors. Depressive disease is bio-psycho-social disease and not just psychological as is wrongly believed.

Depressive disease can run in the family. The parents, siblings and children of a depressed person are at a higher risk of developing clinically diagnosable Depressive disease than those persons who do not have a depressed patient in their families.

Like any other medical illness, Depressive disease is a Bio-Psycho-Social disease. In typhoid fever and in jaundice, there are certain outside factors (bacteria or virus). The biological factor in that individual also plays a significant role. If individual has enough resistance, he will not succumb to the illness (typhoid or Jaundice). But if resistance is low, bacteria or virus will have upper hand
producing illness.

Common Depression Causes and Risk Factors

Depression CausesThe nature and personality make-up of an individual and the attitudes he displays, predisposes or protects the person from Depressive disease. Some of the attitudes which make the person vulnerable to Depressive disease are:

Depressive disease is often triggered off by stressful events in life. The major precipitating social factors for Depressive diseases are :

  • Any loss i.e., loss by death of a close one, loss of prestige, failure in business or examination.
  • Occurrence of negative emotionally stressful events and factors.
  • Sudden death of family members or friend or serious illness of the self or family members to whom the patient is closely attached.
  • Quarrel with important person.
  • Children not coming up to expectations either in education or in occupation.
  • Sometimes positive events, like promotion in job.

Methods to Treat Depression

Filed under: Depression Treatment — toni @ 1:52 pm

Tricyclic Antidepressants

TCAs are one of the oldest of antidepressants and still prescribed widely. Before the introduction of selective serotonon reuptake, TCAs were the standard treatment for depression. They are effective and have the advantage of extensive experience accumulated over several decaded of use.

Depression TreatmentWithin the brain, there are many naturally occuring chemical messengers called neurotransmitters. These chemicals are involved in controlling or regulating bodily functions. Two of these chemicals, noradrenal nad serotonin are involved in the control and regulation of mood which fluctuates in depression. When depression occurs, there may be a decreased amount of these two chemicals released  from nerve cells in the brain. When these chemicals are released from nerve cells thet act to lighten mood. When they are reabsorbed into the nerve cells, they no longer have an effect on mood.

TCAs work by preventing this re-absorption of noradrenaline and serotonin back into the nerve cells. This prolongs the mood-lightening effect  and in this way helps to treat depression.

The choice of TCA depends on a number of factors It should not be used if you have a heart problem, are breastfeeding, pregnant or have a liver Currently problem.  Currently available TCAs are listed below -

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)

Serotonin is one of the several chemicals called neurotransmitters that pass messages between nerve cells that are involved in depression. Each nerve cell generally uses one of these chemical to pass on messages to adjacent nerve cells. The nerve cells normally recycle serotonon by soaking it back up again. The SSRIs work by stopping this reutake of serotonin. As serotonin is not soaked up again, more will be present to pass on messages There are  a number of SSRIs frequently used to treat depression.  to nerve cells nearby.

Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOI)

MAOI are one of the oldest classes of antidepressants and are typically used when other antidepressants have not been effective. They are used less frequently because they often interact with certain foods and requirfe strict dietary restrictions. MAOI can also result in severe adverse reactions if taken with many other medicines, including some over-the-counter cough and cold remedies. MAOI are mostly used for atypical depression.

Depression and Suicide

Filed under: Depression — toni @ 1:50 pm

Suicide is a latin word ‘Sui’ means self and ‘cide’ means to kill. The term suicide is used to describe any deliberate act of self-harm which results in death. By contrast attempted suicide includes any deliberate act of self-harm which does not result in death.

Attempted suicide includes two categories of act (a) deliberate self-poisoning (or overdose) and (b) deliberate self-injury. Deliberate self-poisoning describes the intentional ingestion of more than the prescribed amount of medical substance or ingestion of substances never intended for human consumption (e.g. insecticides, pesticides, etc.) irrespective of the intended outcome of the act. Deliberate self-injury describes intentional, self-inflicted injury irrespective of the intended outcome.

Thought, intent, ideation and act of suicide are pathological and caused dysfunction to life leading to either death or survival with physical and mental disability. There is no one who has not experienced a thought of suicide but every one has strength of mind (will power) and brain mechanism to regulate subconscious impulses and live life in a regulated manner. Suicide is a result of gross disturbance of this regulatory and defense mechanism.

Suicide is a multi-faceted process. It involves a victim, a situation and stress. Combination of factors of biological vulnerability, stressful situation, potential precipitating factor, lack of support from family or poor social support lead to psychological despair leading to suicidal act. Some of the suicidal acts are cries for help. When factors are left untreated, suicidal attempt is likely to be repeated killing the individual.

Almost all people who commit or attempt suicide have psychiatric illness. Highly significant psychiatric factors in suicide include Depressive disorder, Schizophrenic disorder, substance abuse. 95 % of the persons who commit or attempt suicide have diagnosable and treatable mental disorder. Hence, suicide is preventable. Depressive disorder is diagnosed in 75 % cases and schizophrenic disorder in other 10% cases.

Most commonly, suicide seems to arise from a depressed person’s feeling that life is so unbearable that death is the only escape from severe emotional pain, financial loss, loss of self-esteem, terminal illness and other such factors. A suicidal person experiences hopelessness and helplessness; ambivalent conflicts between life and unending stress and no apparent possibilities for change or improvement (as in the above case). These feelings and attitudes are distress signals. The next step is intentional, self-inflicted death.

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