Despite these statistics, depression is not a normal part of life, regardless of your age, sex, or health status. The good news is that depression is very treatable. When certain chemicals in the brain (such as serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine) are out of balance, depression can occur. Antidepressants improve the symptoms of depression by bringing these chemicals back into balance. Antidepressant medication is generally very effective when used appropriately. It can take up to several weeks after the first dose of medication before symptoms are reduced. For some people it can take up to eight weeks or a little longer before they start to feel better, and the maximum benefit is felt after six months.
Generic Celexa is used for treating depression.
More info »Generic Lexapro is used for treating depression and generalized anxiety disorder.
More info »Generic Paxil is used for treating depression or obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). It may be used to treat panic disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), generalized anxiety disorder or social anxiety disorder.
More info »Generic Zyprexa is used to treat the symptoms of psychotic conditions such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder (manic depression).
More info »Approximately 60 to 70 percent of patients respond to the first antidepressant that is prescribed or to an increased dosage of that drug. But patients must take regular doses of a prescribed antidepressant for at least 3 to 4 weeks before they are likely to experience the full therapeutic effect. And if patients start to feel better, they should not stop taking the antidepressant. When patients fail to respond to a particular antidepressant, or exhibit side effects, and a trial of another antidepressant is indicated, the clinician must be familiar with the pharmacology of the drug that is being discontinued, the potential for drug-drug interactions, and the time to onset of effectiveness of the new medication. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) overlap in their mechanism of action, and the new SSRI will usually prevent discontinuation symptoms that may occur when the first SSRI is stopped.