Women's Health & Fitness

Doctor, doctor

Society seems to be more dependent on drugs as the panacea for all problems. This is the case so often these days, that they are the first port of call for health professionals who don't have time to explore alternative remedies for patients. Antidepressants and mood altering drugs are being prescribed left, right and centre to adults and children throughout Australia. But are these the answer for everyone, or are they only beneficial to those who are in a severe state? Would natural remedies be more appropriate for some sufferers?

Antidepressants: History and types

Researchers began developing a number of synthetic drugs for the treatment of depression way back in the 1950s - and they took off in a big way! At the time they were seen as a breakthrough and almost a rarity, but now a large variety of antidepressant medication is available.

Distinguished by how they affect the balance and function of certain neurotransmitters in the brain, these medications fall into four principle categories:

Progress for developing new and improved antidepressant medication since these various drugs were discovered has been limited. Today's treatments remain sub-optimal, with less than half of the patients treated going into complete remission.

Tricyclic drugs – these dominated the market for 20 years but are much less common now due to their negative side effects.

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) – these work to make more serotonin available and hence elevate mood. Current SSRIs include Prozac, Luvox, Paxil, Zoloft and Celexa. Prozac was the first of these discovered (1974) and a plethora of writing on the science, clinical use and ethics of neuropharmacology almost immediately followed.

Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) – these work to reduce the quantity of the enzyme MAO within the synapses. The use of these types of antidepressants leads to higher levels of adrenaline and dopamine. Current products available include Nardil and Parnate.

Noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor drugs (NARIs) – these affect neurotransmitter activity but do not fit into any of the above categories. Drugs on the market include Wellbutrin, Desyrel, Effexor and Serzone.

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