Understanding SSRI Medication: What to Expect

Whether you are a mental health professional or perhaps a patient that has been prescribed SSRIs, there is no denying the fact that you will want to understand these medications better. As a professional, you want to know how they can affect your patients, and you want to understand what you can do in order to prescribe the perfect SSRI to each and every patient individually. And, as a patient, you want to know what it is that you can expect when you start taking these.

This, of course, means that you have quite some questions on your mind right now. Among other things, you want to know what these are, as well as what the most Common SSRI Medications are out there, what they are prescribed for, and what people can expect when they start taking them. And, of course, if you are a professional, you also want to understand what you can do in order to prescribe the right SSRI to your patients.

Those are all, without a shred of doubt, highly important questions right there. What we are going to do right now, thus, is answer them for you below. Thus shedding more light on these particular medications and helping you understand them clearly. Without any more ado, therefore, let us get started right away. Let us offer the answers you need here.

What Are SSRIs?

Unsurprisingly, we are going to begin with the most basic question. What exactly are SSRIs? Well, to cut right to the chase, we are talking about a class of antidepressants, and newer ones for that matter, that are often prescribed nowadays for various conditions. They are called Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors, and they work by, as you may have guessed it, inhibiting the reuptake of serotonin, which means that its levels in your body will be increased.

Why serotonin, though? Why was targeting this particular neurotransmitter so necessary? If you do any research on this neurotransmitter, then you will understand that it has a huge impact on our moods, our emotional regulation, sleep, appetite, and more processes. It is, thus, no wonder that targeting it is necessary when looking to help people deal with various mental health conditions.

Here’s what you should know about serotonin: https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-serotonin-425327 

What Are the Most Common Ones?

The above should have given you a better idea about what SSRIs are and how they work. Now you want to know what the most common drugs from this class actually are, so let me quickly list some of those for you. I’ll list their chemical names first, followed by some brand names, but you should know that brand names can, clearly, change, and that checking the chemical one is always important when you want to find out what kind of a drug you are dealing with exactly. Anyway, here are some common SSRIs to know:

• Citalopram (Celexa)
• Escitalopram (Lexapro)
• Sertraline (Zoloft)
• Paroxetine (Paxil)
• Fluoxetine (Prozac)

As a professional, you have probably heard of most of these already. If you’re a patient, though, then chances are that you have at least heard of Prozac and Zoloft, while you may not be familiar with the rest of them. In any case, you should know that there are various SSRIs out there, and that finding the right one for a person can often take some time and adjustment, because we are, in the end, all different, and we have our individual responses to all medications.

What Are They Prescribed for?

Okay, what are these drugs usually prescribed for? Since they are classed as antidepressants, I suppose you understand that they are most commonly used for treating depression. Yet, some of these are also approved for the treatment of other types of disorders, such as anxiety, PTSD, as well as OCD. They can help alleviate all kinds of symptoms, which is why they can be prescribed for those various conditions.

What to Expect When Taking Them?

Now, the next thing you want to know is what to expect when you start taking these medications. Or when you give them to patients. First things first, you should know that seeing improvements can take some time, often around 4 to 6 weeks. Then, the side-effects can appear sooner, but they are often mild. And, of course, not everyone will respond the same to any antidepressants, talked more about on this page, including SSRIs, so taking individual differences into account is a must.

How to Know Which Ones to Prescribe?

But, how can you know which ones to prescribe to your patients, given that everyone will respond differently? Well, you have to be patient, as some trial and error may be necessary here. You have to take into account what the patients are reporting regarding their experiences with specific SSRIs. And, apart from that, you can also order some genetic testing that can help understand the patients’ predispositions better, and that can, therefore, help you choose the right SSRI for them.