Depression is a condition lasting at least two weeks in which sadness prevents people from functioning up to their capacity. They lose enjoyment and interest in usual activities, are sad and cannot express warm emotions towards other people, sleep all the time or barely at all, are exhausted, lose their ability to concentrate or think clearly, have feelings of worthlessness or inappropriate guilt, feel that life is hopeless, and they eat less or more than usual. Insomnia in young men is associated with a marked increased risk for depression that persists for at least 30 years afterwards.

Side Effects of Drugs

Our bodies are complex structures, built from chemicals and to function smoothly it has to be regulated. Chemicals like for instance hormones, enzymes and other molecular messengers normally make these adjustments. The purpose of medicines are often to take the place of one of the body's regulating chemicals, because of a disease that has been brought out of balance and readjust this.

1. Our body often uses the same chemical to regulate more than one process. What this means is that a medicine may retune not only the desired target but also others that don't need readjustment. Let's use prednisone as an example; this drug gets rid of inflammation, but it also causes thinning of bones.

2. Unfortunately, drugs are not always as selective as we would like them to be. A consequence of this is that the medicine may alter a number of unrelated processes at the same time.

Antidepressant Side Effects

MAOIs hold the potential to induce life-threatening problems. The Side Effects associated with its use are hypertensive crisis, rapid heartbeat, blood cell problems, insomnia, dizziness, headache, fluid retention, and loss of appetite. It therefore cannot be used in patients of congestive cardiac failure or in those with a history of liver disease. It is unsafe for those who are hypersensitive to its ingredients.

The SSRIs are associated with nausea, anorexia, anxiety, agitation, insomnia, headache, dizziness, tremor somnolence, sweating, dry mouth, diarrhea, constipation, and sexual dysfunction as the general Side Effects. The sexual Side Effects of SSRIs often become the reason for its desired discontinuation. Combining antidepressant drugs can cause death. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) must never be taken with monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) as it can be a lethal mix. If you are treating your depression by taking MAOIs you also need to avoid smoked, fermented and pickled foods and certain beverages. It is obvious that if you are going to use an antidepressant side effects must be taken into account and you must be aware of all the risks.

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