However, problems with barbiturate addiction and deadly overdoses soon became apparent. Because the potential for misuse is so high, they are no longer used as commonly as in the past. If you’ve been prescribed a depressant, it’s important to know that it can cause drowsiness and decreased inhibition. They’re also a class of drugs with a risk of misuse and addiction, increasing one’s chances of taking too much, which can lead to coma or death.
Taking medicine with food may lessen upset stomach, a common side effect. If you can’t handle the side effects of one SNRI, you may have fewer side effects with a different one, as each SNRI has a different chemical makeup. Dependence means that a person needs to keep taking the medication to avoid experiencing symptoms of withdrawal. Depressants are used by up to 7% of Americans and work by inhibiting central nervous system (CNS) function. While all CNS depressants share this ability, there are significant differences among substances within this drug class, and some are safer than others.
They have a long history of use as medications prescribed for the treatment of depression. They are particularly effective in treating atypical depression.240 They are also used in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease and several other disorders. CNS depressants are often prescribed to treat conditions related to stress, anxiety, sleep disorders, and seizures. These medications can be safe and effective, but they do have a risk for tolerance, dependence, and overdose. This is a complete list of clinically approved prescription antidepressants throughout the world, as well as clinically approved prescription drugs used to augment antidepressants or mood stabilizers, by pharmacological and/or structural classification. Chemical/generic names are listed first, with brand names in parentheses.
Antidepressants are defined by their effect on mood, not on general brain activity, so they form an orthogonal category of drugs. Serotonin antagonist and reuptake inhibitors (SARIs) while mainly used as antidepressants are also anxiolytics and hypnotics. They act by antagonizing serotonin receptors such as 5-HT2A and inhibiting the reuptake of serotonin, norepinephrine, and/or dopamine. The majority of the currently marketed SARIs belong to the phenylpiperazine class of compounds. It quickly became the first popular psychotropic drug in America, becoming popular in Hollywood and gaining fame for its seemingly miraculous effects. It has since been marketed under more than 100 trade names, including Amepromat, Quivet, and Zirpon.
In 1951, Irving Selikoff and Edward H. Robitzek, working out of Sea View Hospital on Staten Island, began clinical trials on two new anti-tuberculosis agents developed by Hoffman-LaRoche, isoniazid, and iproniazid. Selikoff and Robitzek noted “a subtle general stimulation … the patients exhibited renewed vigor and indeed this occasionally served to introduce disciplinary problems.”275 The promise of a cure for tuberculosis in the Sea View Hospital trials was excitedly discussed in the mainstream press. If you experience any of these effects after taking a depressant, seek immediate medical attention or call 911. Barbiturates, sometimes referred to as downers, are a type of CNS depressant that causes euphoria and relaxation when taken in small doses.
Drugs that fall into this category include Mebaral (mephobarbital), Luminal (phenobarbital), and Nembutal (pentobarbital sodium). These drugs are sometimes described as reversible inhibitors of MAO-A (RIMAs). Sign up for free and stay up to date on research advancements, health tips, current health topics, and expertise on managing health. These symptoms may be more likely to happen with venlafaxine or desvenlafaxine, though they can happen when any SNRI is stopped suddenly. Work with your healthcare professional to slowly and safely lower your dose over time so you can stop the depressant wikipedia medicine safely. SNRIs ease depression by affecting chemical messengers called neurotransmitters that affect mood.
Valium (diazepam), Xanax (alprazolam), Halcion (triazolam), Ativan (lorazepam), and Klonopin (clonazepam) are the most commonly prescribed benzodiazepines. Depressed mood may not require professional treatment, and may be a normal temporary reaction to life events, a symptom of some medical condition, or a side effect of some drugs or medical treatments. A prolonged depressed mood, especially in combination with other symptoms, may lead to a diagnosis of a psychiatric or medical condition which may benefit from treatment. MAOIs can also be used in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease by targeting MAO-B in particular (therefore affecting dopaminergic neurons), as well as providing an alternative for migraine prophylaxis.
Depressants are widely used throughout the world as prescription medicines and illicit substances. When depressants are used, effects often include ataxia, anxiolysis, pain relief, sedation or somnolence, cognitive or memory impairment, as well as, in some instances, euphoria, dissociation, muscle relaxation, lowered blood pressure or heart rate, respiratory depression, and anticonvulsant effects. Other depressants can include drugs like benzodiazepines (e.g., alprazolam) and a number of opioids.
All drugs listed are approved specifically for major depressive disorder unless noted otherwise. Serotonin–norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) are potent inhibitors of the reuptake of serotonin and norepinephrine. SNRIs can be contrasted with the more widely used selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), which act mostly upon serotonin alone. Depressants are closely related to sedatives as a category of drugs, with significant overlap.
GAD is a common disorder in which the central feature is excessively worrying about numerous events. Key symptoms include excessive anxiety about events and issues going on around them and difficulty controlling worrisome thoughts that persists for at least 6 months. Keep in mind that depression that’s not treated is a more concerning risk factor for suicide. And antidepressants may lessen suicide risk in the long run by improving mood for many people. Psychogeographical depression overlaps somewhat with the theory of “deprejudice”, a portmanteau of “depression” and “prejudice” proposed by Cox, Abramson, Devine, and Hollon in 2012,56 who argue for an integrative approach to studying the often comorbid experiences. Cox, Abramson, Devine, and Hollon are concerned with the ways in which social stereotypes are often internalized, creating negative self-stereotypes that then produce depressive symptoms.
A third class of CNS depressants is sedative-hypnotics which are not benzodiazepines. They include sleep-promoting drugs such as Ambien (zolpidem), Lunesta (eszopiclone), and Sonata (zaleplon). Depressant, in medicine, a drug or other agent that slows the activity of vital organs of the body. Depressants acting on the central nervous system include general anesthetics, opiates, alcohol, and hypnotics.
These symptoms can be minimized or avoided by slowly reducing the dose of the medication over a period of time to gradually wean off the substance. If overdose is suspected, call 911 or seek immediate medical attention. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Some GHB receptors modulators only bind to the GHB receptor, while others bind to both the GHB and GABAB receptors.
But other things besides genetics can affect your response to medicine. SNRIs block the reabsorption, also called reuptake, of the neurotransmitters serotonin (ser-o-TOE-nin) and norepinephrine (nor-ep-ih-NEF-rin) in the brain. Blocking reabsorption makes more of these chemicals available to help ease depression symptoms.
Tetracyclic antidepressants (TeCAs) are a class of antidepressants that were first introduced in the 1970s. They are named after their chemical structure, which contains four rings of atoms, and are closely related to tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), which contain three rings of atoms. Gabapentinoids are absorbed from the intestines mainly by the large neutral amino acid transporter 1 (LAT1, SLC7A5) and the excitatory amino acid transporter 3 (EAAT3). Gabapentinoids are structurally similar to the branched-chain amino acids L-leucine and L-isoleucine, both of which also bind to the α2δ site. Branched-chain amino acids like l-leucine, l-isoleucine, and l-valine have many functions in the central nervous system. If you want to stop taking your medication, talk with your healthcare provider first to create a plan to minimize the risk of serious withdrawal effects, such as reducing your dosage slowly over time.
Which antidepressant is best for you depends on several factors, such as your symptoms and any other health conditions you may have. Antidepressant SNRIs help relieve depression symptoms, such as irritability and sadness, but some are also used for anxiety disorders and nerve pain. Because of their low toxicity and high effectiveness, these drugs have been used as a short-term treatment for anxiety and insomnia. They’re also sometimes prescribed for excessive agitation, muscle spasms, and seizures. Benzodiazepines are a type of CNS depressant that have sleep-inducing, sedative, muscle-relaxing, and anticonvulsant effects.