Tricyclic antidepressants are prescribed in the process of treating a depressed person and other similar diseases. Unlike other similar means, the data is applied the longest. They got their name because of the structure of the chemical compound that underlies them and consists of three cycles. As a rule, the effect of treatment is observed after about two or three weeks, as with all similar drugs. Medications are taken for at least six months, and only after this period you can feel and observe the complete removal of symptoms. All side effects that appear during the administration pass very quickly and are minor. The proper use of such drugs implies a gradual reduction in dosage before the end of treatment. This action negates the appearance of withdrawal syndrome.
Tricyclic antidepressants are prescribed by a doctor not only in the fight against depression, but also in other disorders: migraine, panic states, regular headaches. In case of sleep disturbances, such remedies give an improvement also quickly - after a week, sleep returns to normal. These drugs affect the balance of certain chemicals in the brain.
As for effectiveness, in most cases a noticeable improvement is observed already a week after the medicine was prescribed. But in any case, nothing concrete can be said, since the impact on each person is strictly individual. There is one special rule: the more the disease has developed, the more severe the condition, the more effective the treatment will be.
As a rule, the decision of whether or not to prescribe strong antidepressants or weaker ones depends on many factors. The role is played by the person’s age, previous courses of treatment, probable and past side effects, compatibility with other medicines that the patient is currently taking, as well as his state of health. Often, the ideal method of treatment is after trying several types of drugs.
There are situations when a significant improvement occurs in a few days, but as they said, at least six months are needed for a full recovery. It is not recommended to stop using the medicine after the first days of a noticeable improvement, even if they have come, it is worth undergoing a full course of treatment.
A feature is the moment that tricyclic antidepressants at the beginning of treatment are prescribed in a small dosage, which increases over several days. In advanced conditions, the recommended course of treatment is approximately six months, and only after this period can not only temporarily, but also permanently remove all signs of depression. If you do not treat this psychological deviation, all the symptoms very quickly return again.
In the case when a person has a relapse state of depression, that is, with constantly recurring symptoms, the course of treatment may be a little longer than usual.
Only a doctor prescribes tricyclic antidepressants , he also sets the dosage and duration of treatment. They are not prescribed to everyone, for example, patients with suicidal tendencies are not suitable, since an overdose is fraught with death. Drugs are also contraindicated for people with some somatic ailments.
There are several types of similar drugs, more precisely groups: trazodone, mianserin, imipramine, doxepin, lofepramine. According to many experts, ideal drugs do not exist. It is better, of course, to use natural antidepressants, which do not have any side effects, do not entail withdrawal and addiction syndrome .