Depression is a pressing problem; the number of visits to doctors is growing every year. It can be solved by contacting a psychotherapist and taking antidepressants . These are medications that regulate the production of hormones and biochemical processes in the body. to prescribe them to yourself, since these are complex drugs with certain restrictions and side effects . The doctor must authorize their use and supervise their use. We will tell you which of them are the most effective and common in medicine, and how many pros and cons they have.
What is meant by depression
Doctors have been familiar with it since the times of Ancient Greece and Egypt. Hippocrates described it as melancholy - a condition that is accompanied by anxiety, despondency, insomnia, refusal of food, and irritability. Most often, the cause is childhood trauma or severe, frequent stress in adulthood. There are many provoking factors: the death of a loved one, worsening living conditions, alcoholism, brain diseases. Such cases are referred to as psychogenic depression.
The second type is endogenous. The problem does not arise from major external shocks, but from internal causes. A person is constantly dissatisfied with himself and exposes himself to criticism. Many patients have panic attacks and are haunted by feelings of fear and anxiety.
Medications to take regularly for panic attacks
Constant use of pharmacotherapy allows you to stabilize the biochemical and physiological processes in the nervous system that are responsible for the development of panic attacks.
Basically, such drugs act on specific receptors in the brain and restore the normal activity of neurotransmitters: dopamine, serotonin, norepinephrine, adrenaline, acetylcholine and others.
Antidepressants
Mainly affects serotonin receptors of the nervous system. They are used in courses of several months (from three to more than a year). The most “popular” and common antidepressants for preventing panic attacks:
- Escitalopram (cipralex, elicea);
- Paroxetine (Paxil);
- Amitriptyline;
- Sertraline (Zoloft);
- Fluvoxamine (fevarin).
Neuroleptics
They act predominantly on dopamine receptors in the brain. Prescribed in cases where panic attacks are a manifestation of an endogenous disease. Like antidepressants, they are taken for a long time from several months to several years.
Contrary to popular belief among people with anxiety disorders, they do not cause addiction. The most commonly used antipsychotics for long-term treatment of panic attacks are:
- Thioridazine (Sonapax);
- Sulpiride (eglonil);
- Quetiapine (Seroquel);
- Risperidone (rispolept);
- Flupenthixol (fluanxol).
Normotimic drugs
Their mechanism of action is the normalization of the ratio of excitation and inhibition processes in the brain. Most effective for panic attacks due to encephalopathy, consequences of traumatic brain injuries, strokes, and hypoxia.
The most common representatives of normotimics:
- valproic acid (Depakine Chrono),
- lamotrigine (Lamictal),
- carbamazepine (finlepsin).
To summarize, it can be noted that among the above-listed medications there are several drugs with a universal effect: they are suitable both for a single dose to quickly relieve a panic attack, and for long-term use. These are the antidepressant amitriptyline and the antipsychotics quetiapine, thioridazine and sulpiride.
This material is for informational purposes only. Under no circumstances should you use the medications described above for panic attacks on your own. Any use of the drug should only be as prescribed by a doctor! Don't self-medicate!
How is depression treated?
Depression has been treated in different ways. In the ancient world - emetics and laxatives. In the Renaissance - wine and sunbathing. In the Age of Enlightenment - external irritants, for example, insects. The 19th century brought new recipes - in particular, a solution of camphor in tartaric acid. The treatment also included taking drugs that are now no longer allowed for sale, and some are recognized as narcotic.
Obviously, all these drugs had no effect on increasing the amount of serotonin. And the treatment consists precisely in normalizing its production. This was done after the creation of modern antidepressants , which have a minimum of side effects, are safe for the body and are not addictive. These are medications action is aimed specifically at equalizing the disturbed balance of neurotransmitters: serotonin, norepinephrine, dopamine.
Quick help for a panic attack
Benzodiazepine tranquilizers
The most effective and fastest-acting medications for panic attacks are a group of benzodiazepine tranquilizers
. These include:
- alprazolam (Xanax),
- clonazepam,
- diazepam (Relanium),
- bromodihydrochlorophenylbenzodiazepine (phenazepam).
These are potent drugs and therefore are not commercially available. They can be purchased using special prescriptions, which can only be prescribed by certified doctors in licensed clinics.
The action of benzodiazepine tranquilizers provides rapid relief of anxiety, vegetative manifestations (rapid pulse and breathing, sweating, trembling, chills and heat waves, dizziness, etc.), normalization of sleep and appetite.
Since the basis of any panic attack is anxiety and excessive activation of brain structures responsible for the protective anxiety reflex, then, regardless of the causes, mechanism of development and manifestation of panic, tranquilizers always have a quick effect. They will either prevent the development of a panic attack, or (if it has already begun) stop it.
Benzodiazepine tranquilizers are used once - as an ambulance, or in short courses (usually no more than a week). With long-term use, dependence is formed, one of the manifestations of which will be “increasing tolerance” - the need to increase the dose to achieve an effect.
These drugs are often used in tablet form. As a rule, taking one tranquilizer tablet ensures the development of a therapeutic effect in 20-40 minutes.
Some of these drugs (diazepam, bromodihydrochlorophenylbenzodiazepine) exist in the form of a solution, which allows them to be used as injections intramuscularly or intravenously, in which case the effect occurs very quickly - from a few seconds to several minutes.
Advantages of benzodiazepine tranquilizers: pronounced anti-anxiety effect, rapid onset of action, well tolerated.
Disadvantages: difficult to purchase (you need a doctor's prescription, a special prescription form), a common side effect is drowsiness and lethargy; if taken regularly, they can cause physical and mental dependence.
Non-benzodiazepine tranquilizers
The next group is non-benzodiazepine tranquilizers
. They are distinguished from the first group by a different chemical structure. The most common representatives:
- hydroxyzine (atarax),
- mebicar,
- etifoxine,
- meprobamate.
In terms of potency, they are inferior to the drugs of the previous group. But they also have their advantages: they are well tolerated, do not cause drowsiness, do not develop dependence, and are easier to purchase in pharmacies (no special prescriptions are needed).
The most common remedy in this group is ATARAX
. They can be used once to prevent or relieve a panic attack. It is also used for long-term use, which can prevent the recurrence of a panic attack.
Thus, tranquilizers
- the most common and popular group of pills for panic attacks. It has been noticed that many people who have long gotten rid of panic attacks, but remember these unpleasant anxiety states, try to carry a tranquilizer pill with them “just in case.”
Neuroleptics
Neuroleptics with sedative action. This is the next group of drugs that have a sedative effect and can relieve a panic attack. The most common tablets are:
- Thioridazine (Sonapax);
- Periciazine (neuleptil);
- Chlorprothixene (Truxal);
- Quetiapine (Seroquel);
- Alimemazine (teraligen);
- Sulpiride (eglonil).
The general sedative effect of these drugs allows, when taken continuously, to prevent the development of panic attacks, and when taken once, to relieve a panic attack.
The disadvantage of this group of drugs is that, in addition to anxiety, other emotional reactions (joy, surprise, delight, pleasure, curiosity, melancholy, etc.) can be suppressed.
Antidepressants with sedative effects
Despite the fact that antidepressants are the most prescribed pills in the complex treatment of panic attacks, they can also be used as an “ambulance” - once to stop a panic attack. For this purpose the following are most often used:
- Amitriptyline;
- Clomipramine (Anafranil);
- Mianserin (lerivon)
Unlike antipsychotics and tranquilizers, the effect of antidepressants does not develop as quickly, but is longer lasting.
Other drugs for quick relief of an attack
- aminophenylbutyric acid (phenibut),
- glycine,
- ethyl alcohol (alcohol),
- valocordin or corvalol (and their analogues),
- beta-blockers (anaprilin, atenolol),
- alpha-blockers (clinidine), etc.
Purpose
If a healthy person takes antidepressants, there will be no effect . Taking them will help a patient with depression:
- improve psychological state;
- get rid of irritability;
- panic fear;
- increase mental and physical activity;
- overcome sad mood.
Psychiatrists prescribe antidepressants for chronic back pain and headaches. And also for irritable bowel syndrome, incontinence and other cases when the body stops producing its own painkillers. Taking medications helps restore pain suppression mechanisms.
take these medications only with a doctor's prescription, since many of them are strong stimulants . Self-prescription may be expensive and may worsen the condition. Only a doctor will correctly calculate how much medicine to take per day. with a psychotherapist is required .
Afobazole
Afobazole is a domestic drug that has an anxiolytic effect and is used for anxiety conditions. incl. aggravated by somatic symptoms. The crazy rhythm of life in today's realities provokes a lot of health problems, one of which is anxiety disorders. To suppress such conditions, medicine can offer, for example, benzodiazepine tranquilizers or antidepressants. The problem is that these groups of drugs, in addition to their undeniable advantages, are also endowed with a number of disadvantages. A reasonable alternative for eliminating pathological anxiety may be the drug afobazole. Its use is not associated with adverse reactions characteristic of benzodiazepine tranquilizers - lethargy, drowsiness, muscle relaxation, impaired coordination of movement, which can worsen the quality of life. At the same time, afobazole has some advantages: low toxicity, the possibility of use in complex therapy without increasing the risk of adverse reactions, low risk of addiction and withdrawal syndrome. Thus, the drug, in its anxiolytic properties, practically corresponds to benzodiazepines and is suitable for long-term pharmacotherapy, because devoid of side effects typical of tranquilizers.
According to the mechanism of action, afobazole is a selective anxiolytic: the drug counteracts the development of membrane-dependent changes in gamma-aminobutyric acid receptors (GABA is the main inhibitory neurotransmitter). It does not have a sedative effect (unless, of course, you exceed the recommended dose tens of times). The pharmacological effect of afobazole is a combination of anti-anxiety and light activating components.
Already on the 5-7th day of taking the drug, there is a decrease or complete elimination of anxiety, irritability, anxious premonitions, tearfulness, phobias, and inability to relax. Against this background, combined somatic symptoms begin to disappear: muscular, cardiovascular, sensory, respiratory and digestive manifestations of pathological anxiety. The peak effect of afobazole occurs at the end of the 4th week and persists for another 1-2 weeks after discontinuation of the drug.
Clinical trials of afobazole took place in Russian psychiatric clinics and confirmed its high therapeutic activity in patients with an asthenic personality type, prone to excessive suspiciousness, self-doubt, increased vulnerability, and exposure to stress. The drug demonstrated maximum effectiveness for manifestations of anxiety combined with psychovegetative disorders, incl. with pain syndrome: when taking it, headaches, pain in the abdomen and in the heart area, and spinal pain were relieved. Afobazole does not have a negative effect on cognitive functions (memory, attention); on the contrary, having a slight stimulating effect, it improves some psychophysiological indicators.
Afobazole is available in tablets. The recommended single dose of the drug is 10 mg. The frequency of administration is 3 times a day. The duration of drug therapy varies in the range of 2-4 weeks. According to indications, the doctor can increase the daily dose of afobazole to 60 mg and extend the course of treatment to 3 months.
Precautionary measures
- They start taking the prescribed drug with a small dose - for the first couple of days they take a quarter of a tablet. Gradually the dose is increased to normal. This way the body adapts better. The course is completed by reducing the dose.
- The first effect appears only 2 weeks after the start of treatment. Sustained action - after six months. All this time you need to take the drug without skipping or breaks.
- The products cannot be combined with melatonin, St. John's wort, products and dietary supplements based on sibutramine, 5-NTR. The combination of the two can increase serotonin to dangerous levels. They also cannot be combined with monoamine oxidase inhibitors. When writing a prescription , the doctor takes these points into account.
- to take antidepressants in parallel with visits to a psychotherapist. If the drugs normalize the biochemical processes in the body, then this doctor will help normalize the psychological state after depression.
