Today, depressive and anxiety disorders occupy one of the top places among mental illnesses Mental illness - ashamed to ask for help? . At the beginning of this century, they accounted for about 40% of the total registered in the world of mental illness. It is noted that the growing resistance (nevosprpriimchivost) depressed to some medicines.

What is depression

Depression - a mental disorder that is accompanied by a depressed, sad and depressed mood disorders, combined with thinking, movement and operation of the internal organs. Depression refers to a group of affective disorders, which are characterized by pathological changes of mood. Depression occurs in almost all mental illnesses, but they manifest themselves in different ways.

Depression tend to repeat, so impair the quality of life of patients. The basis of depression Depression - a little more than a bad mood   It is a decrease of brain activity through the development of limiting inhibition with extreme exhaustion and subcortical inhibition of instincts.

How does depression

Simple forms of depression characterized by the following symptoms: depressed mood, motor and mental inhibition. Initially, the patient has fatigue, sadness, fatigue, and sometimes - Anxiety Anxiety - how to distinguish normal from disease?   or vicious scowl. Gradually, they are joined by dissatisfaction with themselves and their actions. They are "lazy rolls," they "do not want to move hand or foot." Patients consider themselves "unfit to anything standing" of the feeling of joy and happiness, they seek to be alone. Dream becomes restless, disturbed sleep process, the patients eat poorly, they are concerned about constipation, and chronic headaches.

With increasing severity of the disease the mood is deteriorating more and becomes a "black melancholy." The peculiarity of this angst is its physical sensation in the chest, the heart, the head of "heartache" or "hard rock."

In severe depression, patients are immobile, suppressed expression of grief or absent. Sad eyes, eyelids Semi-underslung, the voice of quiet, monotonous, talking quietly, in monosyllables, as if with difficulty. Gradually, the thought of his inadequacy and sinfulness can lead them to thoughts of suicide. These conditions can suddenly interrupted by the explosion of despair, frustration with the moaning, the desire to inflict self-harm and suicidal. Patients lose weight, they have noted a decrease in blood pressure, hormonal background (impotence in men and cessation of menstruation in women), and so on.

In addition there are typical of depression and other manifestations of it, "tearful", "smiling", anxiety depression and so on.

Treating Depression

Depression treating drugs that are called - antidepressants. Selection antidepressant largely depends on the shape of the depression. There are three groups of antidepressants:

• with mostly psychoactive (stimulating) effect;
• with a wide range of action, but with a predominance of thymoleptic effect (improve mood);
• predominantly sedative timolepticheskoe or sedation (calm and improve mood, or simply soothe).

Depending on the prevalence of depression in those or other signs of pick antidepressants with a certain effect.

The problem of resistance in the treatment of depression

During the treatment of depression in many patients revealed resistance (immunity) to a particular drug, and sometimes all antidepressants. This resistance is not uncommon, and sometimes a serious problem. Currently, resistance to antidepressants has been well studied and it is divided:

• primary or true resistance - of immunity, which is linked to the genetic characteristics of the patient (for example, with reduced sensitivity to nerve endings it), or with severe disease;
• the secondary resistance - the effect of habituation (adaptation of the body) to a particular drug in its long-term use;
• on psevdorezistentnost, which is linked to the inadequacy of the patient assigned to this treatment (the drug of choice inaccuracy, lack of the dose, the dose calculated without taking into account other conditions, such as those that violate the absorption of the drug);
• the negative resistance - increased sensitivity to the development of side effects when taking antidepressants, the severity of which is so high that the drug should be discontinued.

All kinds of resistance interact. For example, even in patients with primary resistance to achieve positive effect in the future, this effect may be reduced because of the connection resistance due to the negative effects of allergy to the drug.

In order to overcome the resistance of patients with depression, antidepressants, doctors consider many factors: the correct (according to the availability of certain signs of the disease) is chosen antidepressant is prescribed it adequate doses taking into account the presence in the patient of certain comorbidities, select the most appropriate for this patient the route of administration. For successful treatment it is necessary that the patient's blood is constantly maintained concentration of antidepressant exceeds a certain minimum level. Only in this case the treatment of depression Treatment of depression - pills needed   It will be effective.

Galina Romanenko

A small number of children, adolescents and young people (under 24 years) who took antidepressants such as Luvox during clinical studies were observed suicidal behavior (desire to cause physical harm to himself or to kill himself and / or attempts to do so). Chance of suicide among children and young adults taking antidepressants, higher than among their peers who do not take these drugs, but scientists are not sure how great this risk is and what role it should play in the decision on the appointment of antidepressants.

When assigned to receive Luvox?

Luvox is used to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder (obsessive thoughts that encourage the patient again and again to perform certain actions), social anxiety disorder (fear of a very strong interaction with other people or in public speeches, which interferes with the normal life of the patient). Sometimes Luvox is also used to treat depression Depression - a little more than a bad mood .

Luvox belongs to a class of drugs called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). These drugs increase levels of serotonin, a natural substance produced in the brain, which helps to maintain a stable emotional state.

Application Luvox

Luvox is available in tablets and capsules of prolonged action. Tablets in most cases should be taken at least once a day, at bedtime, or twice a day - in the morning and evening. Capsules of the prolonged action in most cases, taken once a day at bedtime. The patient should carefully follow the instructions in the manual and contact your pharmacist or doctor if it becomes something incomprehensible.

Tablets and capsules should be swallowed whole. Often the drug starts with small doses to see how the patient responds to the medication. Gradually, but not more often than once a week, the dose is increased.

The effect of Luvox may become evident only after a few weeks after starting. You can not stop taking Luvox on their own, even if the patient feels well. The sudden abandonment of the drug can cause a return of symptoms and / or signs of withdrawal symptoms such as irritability, Irritability - you try to control my temper , Irritability, drowsiness, dizziness, anxiety Anxiety - how to distinguish normal from disease? , Confusion, headaches, causeless tiredness, mood swings, sleep disturbances Dreams: how to understand our dreams ; the sensation of pain, burning, numbness and / or tingling in the hands and feet.

Before you start taking Luvox, tell their doctor if any of the following paragraphs describe your condition:

• You are allergic to fevarin or any other medicines
• You are taking alosetron (Lotronex), astemizole (Hismanal), cisapride, pimozide, terfenadine (Seldane), tizanidine (Zanaflex), or thioridazine. Probably the doctor will prescribe another antidepressant, since in most cases it is not recommended concomitant use of these drugs and Luvox.
• Tell your doctor if you are taking the following medications or have finished taking them in the last two weeks, monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MOA), such as isocarboxazid (Marplan), linezolid (Zyvox), phenelzine, rasagiline, selegiline, tranylcypromine and.
• Tell your doctor about any other medicines, including non-prescription, you are taking at the moment; In addition, it should be mentioned herbs - especially St. John's wort.
• Be sure to tell your doctor if you are abusing alcohol or take illegal drugs.

In addition, before the use of Luvox should remember that this drug causes drowsiness, and affects thinking and motor skills. If you drive a car or operate machinery, which is potentially dangerous for you and / or others, you will need to understand how Luvox affects you before resuming the activity.

Remember that alcohol can increase drowsiness caused by Luvox. You will need to refrain from drinking throughout the course of treatment with Luvox.

Side effects

The following side effects Luvox is observed in many patients, and in most cases, fairly quickly resolve on their own (however, if they are compounded or long run, you need to talk to your doctor):

• Drowsiness
• Inability to concentrate
• Dry mouth
• Headache
• Sickness
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Stomach pain
• Constipation
• Flatulence
• Change of taste in the mouth
• Deterioration of appetite
• Weight loss
• Nervousness
• Decreased libido or potency