The figures are startling, to say the least. In a recent survey in Europe, about 17% of the group questioned said that they had suffered from a bout of depression in the last six months. The figure jumps to 70% over the lifetime of the average American citizen as he or she copes with illness, grief and work problems at some point in their life. So, are there new depression drugs on the market?
The new depression treatments seem to be concentrating on the noreadrenaline transmitters in the brain rather than the serotonin which have been the target of the conventional SSRIs such as Paxil, Lexpro and Celexa. The reason for this is simple in that by adjusting serotonin levels, there were some unknown and uncertain side effects, not least that concerning appetite as serotonin plays a vital role in food intake. We also know now that other neurotransmitters in the brain will determine our motivation, drive, energy, mood swings and so on, so it was a little simplistic to think that a serotonin booster would be the answer to depression. The side effects of the SSRIs are well documented such as the loss of libido, numbness and general zombie feeling. The aim of the new depression drugs is to reduce these side effects.
The new depression drugs on the market are what is known as selective noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors and they have a direct effect on sleep patterns,food intake, drive and motivation so are considered superior to the older SSRIs which were just mood enhancers really. However these new depression drugs are still at a very early stage as regards clinical trials so they should be viewed with some caution.
The old problem still remains and that is that side effects are often so troublesome that patients just give up. The other fact is that the long term effects are unknown and indeed the exact mechanism by which these drugs work, is still somewhat mysterious. The drug companies know that the symptoms can be alleviated and they seem to be content with that but any intelligent person will look for alternative new depression treatments because each patient is unique.
There are no powerful wealthy lobbies to support naturopathy for the treatment of depression so do not expect to come by this information so easily. The fact of the matter is that in Europe, there seems to be a much more enlightened view in that natural herbal treatments for depression are favored over the conventional and new depression treatments. Why not find out about how these herbal treatments for depression are in many ways superior to the new depression drugs?
The new depression treatments seem to be concentrating on the noreadrenaline transmitters in the brain rather than the serotonin which have been the target of the conventional SSRIs such as Paxil, Lexpro and Celexa. The reason for this is simple in that by adjusting serotonin levels, there were some unknown and uncertain side effects, not least that concerning appetite as serotonin plays a vital role in food intake. We also know now that other neurotransmitters in the brain will determine our motivation, drive, energy, mood swings and so on, so it was a little simplistic to think that a serotonin booster would be the answer to depression. The side effects of the SSRIs are well documented such as the loss of libido, numbness and general zombie feeling. The aim of the new depression drugs is to reduce these side effects.
The new depression drugs on the market are what is known as selective noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors and they have a direct effect on sleep patterns,food intake, drive and motivation so are considered superior to the older SSRIs which were just mood enhancers really. However these new depression drugs are still at a very early stage as regards clinical trials so they should be viewed with some caution.
The old problem still remains and that is that side effects are often so troublesome that patients just give up. The other fact is that the long term effects are unknown and indeed the exact mechanism by which these drugs work, is still somewhat mysterious. The drug companies know that the symptoms can be alleviated and they seem to be content with that but any intelligent person will look for alternative new depression treatments because each patient is unique.
There are no powerful wealthy lobbies to support naturopathy for the treatment of depression so do not expect to come by this information so easily. The fact of the matter is that in Europe, there seems to be a much more enlightened view in that natural herbal treatments for depression are favored over the conventional and new depression treatments. Why not find out about how these herbal treatments for depression are in many ways superior to the new depression drugs?
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