There is a huge range of antidepressants available, and they are generally used to treat depression, anxiety disorders, schizoaffective disorder and sometimes bipolar depression. They work because people with anxiety and depressive disorders often have an imbalance of chemicals such as serotonin in the brain. They can take up to six weeks for the full effects to be shown. Approximately seventy percent of people feel a reduction in symptoms with the first antidepressant they try.
Some of the possible side effects of antidepressants as a class include:
- Nausea
- Increased appetite/weight gain
- Sexual problems including a loss of libido, erectile dysfunction and decreased orgasms
- Fatigue and drowsiness Insomnia
- Dry mouth
- Blurred vision
- Constipation
- Dizziness
- Agitation
- Irritability
- Anxiety
