Do antidepressants actually start to work immediately? Although people with depression don’t usually feel better right away, a fascinating new study suggests that these medications change the way people see the world within hours, not the two to six weeks that patients typically must wait before they sense that their mood has lifted. …
antidepressants
Long-term antidepressant use creeps up
A dramatic rise in antidepressant prescriptions given by general practitioners has led to an increased number of people popping the mood boosters long-term, say researchers at the University of Southampton. The study, published today in the British Medical Journal, shows that despite a drop in the number of new patients diagnosed with …
Popular antidepressant may increase suicidal thoughts in men
In a study of 811 people treating major depression over a 12-week period with the drugs nortriptyline (marketed as Aventyl and Pamelor) and competitor escitalopram (marketed as Lexapro and Cipralex), researchers found that men taking nortriptyline showed a dramatic increase in suicidal thoughts, compared to those taking the competing
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Antidepressant Use Soars
In 2005, 10% of Americans aged six or older — some 27 million people — received at least one prescription for antidepressants. That’s up from just under 6% in 1996.