SSRIs (selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors) dominate the antidepressant market. Prozac was the first one approved by the FDA in 1987. Over thirty years later, one in eight adults and one in four women in their 40s and 50s takes an SSRI (CDC, 2016).
Brand and (generic) names of the most popular antidepressants:
- Welbutrin (Bupropion)
- Celexa (Citalopram)
- Pristiq (Desvenlafaxine)
- Effexor (Venlafaxine)
- Lexapro (Escitalopram)
- Prozac (Fluoxetine)
- Paxil (Paroxetine)
- Zoloft (Sertraline)
- Trazodone ( Desyrel)
- Viibryd (Viloxodone)
I was prescribed all but one of these antidepressants for thirty years from 1985 to 2015.
SSRI Antidepressants Affect the Brain
SSRI antidepressants work in the brain to increase serotonin levels that ferry signals between nerve cells.
The Mayo Clinic describes how SSRIs are supposed to work:
“SSRIs ease depression by increasing levels of serotonin in the brain. Serotonin is one of the chemical messengers (neurotransmitters) that carry signals between brain cells. SSRIs block the re-absorption (reuptake) of serotonin in the brain, making more serotonin available.” (Jun 24, 2016)
My doctors kept telling me that antidepressants would “fix” the so-called “chemical imbalance” in my brain that causes depression.
But, too much serotonin in the brain induces a chemical change or “imbalance” which can cause cognitive decline and a host of debilitating mental and physical side effects.
As the side effects of upping the serotonin in my system took hold, my doctors treated me with more drugs. Over the years, I was prescribed 16 of the top-selling 25 psychoactive drugs: antidepressants, tranquilizers, sleeping pills and amphetamines for misdiagnosed ADHD.
Now that I’m off SSRI antidepressants (and all the other pills), the side effects I suffered for so long are totally gone.
For more information about the negative effects of antidepressants, go to ANTIDEPRESSANT RESEARCH.
If you’ve had a hard time coping with the side effects of antidepressants, let me know.