Anti-depressants & Smoking Cessation
Nowadays pharmaceutical industry offers a range of products intended for treatment of smoking dependence. These days anti-depressant treatment is widely used in treatment of nicotine dependence. This explained by the fact that antidepressants help to cope with the stress that arises when trying to quit smoking.
Among the leading producers of anti-depressants is GlaxoSmithKline. This company offers such medications as Zyban and Wellbutrin that are approved by the FDA and can be found under a different trade names. Antidepressants help to balance chemical levels of dopamine and serotonin in the brain that are considered to improve mood what is very similar to how nicotine works. The bad thing is that antidepressants treatment has a lot of negative effects such as vomiting, shivering, exhaustion, a decreased sexual interest. Besides, such treatment shows not very high efficiency because it solves only one of the problems connected with nicotine withdrawal.
The herb St. Johns Wort is a component in Quit Tea. It has properties of antidepressant and is efficient in overcoming negative effects caused by smoking cessation. Hyperforin is a compound of St. Johns Wort which is responsible for the antidepressant effects. The hyperforin effects as a serotonin reuptake inhibitor, the same way as the majority antidepressants. It’s determined by medics that the law level of serotonin caused by a quick absorption, leads to depression.
The Cochrane Collaboration group conducted the research regarding the efficiency of treatment with St. Johns Wort. For about five thousand people being treated for depression with the help of this herb. The results were the following:
- St. Johns Wort turned out to be superior to placebo in patients with major depression
- has pracrically the same effect as antidepressants
- causes less adverse reactions in comparison with antidepressants
St. Johns Wort is a good alternative to antidepressants regarding nicotine withdrawal, which is very effective causing no side effects
Popular antidepressant medication - Doxepin
Descriptions
Doxepin is an anti-depressant medication that belongs to the tricyclic class. Drug preparations in this class are often referred to as tricyclic anti-depressants or TCAs. Depression is a common mental disorder that presents with depressed mood, loss of interest or pleasure, feelings of guilt or low self-worth, disturbed sleep or appetite, low energy, and poor concentration. In some patients with depression abnormal levels of neurotransmitters chemicals that the nerve cells use to communicate with each other may be the cause of the depression. Nortriptyline elevates mood by raising the level of neurotransmitters in the brain. The lowest prices online are available at internet canadian pharmacy.
Application
The dose of doxepin is regulated depending to the patients needs. Sometimes physicians will start with relatively low doses such as 25mg given three times a day in order to reduce the risk of hypernormal sedation early and only then the doses will be increased slowly. Sometimes it may take a few weeks before the effects of a dose are maximal. Other physicians give nortriptyline once daily in bedtime to take advantage of sedating properties of the medication. Elderly ptients and patients with advanced liver disease may need lower doses.
Side effects
Adverse reactions that can be found during the application of doxepin are usually the following: rapid heart rate, low blood pressure, blurred vision, urinary retention, difficulty urinating, dry mouth, constipation, weight gain or loss. Among the side effects that happen not so often are rash hives seizures and hepatitis. Doxepin also can cause elevated pressure in the eyes of some patients who suffer from glaucoma. Overdose with doxepin can cause abnormal heart rhythms or seizures and can be dangerous for life.
When a patient stops the application of the medication, such abruptly symptoms as dizziness, headache, nausea, changes in mood or changes in the sense of smell taste etc may occur. Such symptoms may also occur when a few doses of antidepressant are missed. Therefore it is recommended to reduce the dose of antidepressant gradually when therapy is discontinued.interaction
Doxepin exaggerates the effects of other medications and drugs that slow the brains processes such as alcohol barbiturates benzodiazepines e.g. lorazepam Ativan and narcotics. Reserpine given to patients taking TCAs can have a stimulatory effect. Doxepin and other TCAs should not be used with monoamine oxidase inhibiting drugs for example isocarboxazid Marplan phenelzine Nardil tranylcypromine Parnate and procarbazine Matulane. When these medications are used together it may cause high fever, convulsions and even lethal outcome.
Cimetidine Tagamet can increase doxepin blood levels possibly causing side effect.uses
Doxepin is used to improve the mood of patients with depression. Nortriptyline is also a sedative and is useful in depressed patients with insomnia, excited behaviour and nervousness. It also has been found to be helpful for treating chronic and neurological pain.
Storage
The temperature of storage of dioxepin is below 86°F 30°C in a tight light resistant container.
Precaution
It is recommended to observe the following precautions before taking Adapin and if you are taking this drug. You should inform your doctor in advance if you are allergic to Adapin or any other medicine. If you are taking or have taken within the last 2 weeks any prescription and non prescription drugs especially antihistamines anticoagulants [warfarin Coumadin] cimetidine Tagamet estrogens fluoxetine Prozac levodopa Sinemet Larodopa lithium Eskalith Lithobid MAO inhibitors [phenelzine Nardil tranylcypromine Parnate]. You also need to inform about medication for high blood pressure seizures Parkinsons disease, diabetes, asthma, colds or allergies, methylphenidate Ritalin, muscles relaxants, oral contraceptives, sedatives sleeping pills, thyroid medications,tranquilizers and vitamins. If you have or ever had such diseases as glaucoma, diabetes seizures or liver kidney heart disorders or you are suffering from an enlarged prostate difficulty urinating or an overactive thyroid gland. brbr4. If you are pregnant planning to become pregnant or breast-feeding while taking Doxepin you should immediately inform your doctor.
Herbs For Depression - Herbal Remedies Natural Antidepressants
Depression is characterized as a state of mind when a person experiences stress, tension, has low mood. The causes of depression can be the following: regular worries, serious disease or problems in the family and many others.
In some cases depression can lead to suicidal attempts because a person loses interest in life. People that have depression stop communication with other people, even with good friends and members of the family. A lot of people experience an increase or loss of appetite, the sense of low self esteem, insomnia, weakness and exhaustion.
Normally patients who suffer from depression are prescribed antidepressants. Nevertheless antidepressants may cause adverse reactions. In contrast to antidepressants, natural herbs show high effectiveness in curing depression as they help to eliminate not only the symptoms but what is more important, the main cause of depression. Adverse reactions can be also found in treatment with the help of herbs but they are insignificant. But it’s recommended to consult your doctor before starting treatment with herbs.
1. St John's wort, or Hypericum perforatum is a herb widely used in depression and anxiety treatment. It also helps to avoid insomnia caused by depression. The cost of it is not high and this herb is easy to be found.
2. Basil is a herb that grows in Asia. It has lots of healing qualities, for example it helps in stress reduction and mood improvement.
3. Passion flower is a natural sedative. It helps to calm down the nervous state of mind, reduces anxiety and insomnia.
4. Gingko biloba helps to struggle with the depression in elderly people, who experience the reduction of blood circulation in the brain. This herb increases the blood stream in the brain and improves the memory.
5. Borage leaf juice is a natural antidepressant. Due to the big amount of Potassium it improves the work of the glandular system and eliminates the sense of melancholy and sadness.
6. Lemon balm has soothing properties and is also used to treat depression. It calms down anxious feeling and helps to struggle with depression.
7. Rosemary can be used in sleeping pillows and when taking the baths having an effect of soothing the depression.
Beside the effectiveness of natural herbals in treatment of depression, they are much cheaper than the majority of medicines.