Browsing by Subject "SSRI"

Now showing 1 - 8 of 8
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Anxiety and Depression: What if I have both?
    (2009-09-18) Ho, Sing-Wei
    The addition of a benzodiazepine to an SSRI provides more rapid global improvement of generalized anxiety disorder and depression than an SSRI alone. Patients are less likely to discontinue treatment and more likely to show improvement than those receiving antidepressant monotherapy. In addition, the risks of benzodiazepine abuse are low outside of the setting of polysubstance abuse. Overall, patients with co-existing depression and anxiety should be treated in the initial few weeks with combination therapy to prevent premature drop-out from treatment.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Investigating the Effects of Antidepressants on Intestinal Bacteria
    (2024-04-16) Lebakken, Sophia; Basting, Christopher M; Bailey, Melisa; Schroeder, Ty; Broedlow, Courtney A; Guerrero, Candace; Hemmila, Charlotte; Klatt, Nichole R
    Introduction: The gut-brain axis (GBA) involves bidirectional communication between the gastrointestinal tract and brain, which contains many species of bacteria that play an important role in this communication. Major depressive disorder is often treated with antidepressant medications (ADMs) that pass through the gastrointestinal tract; however, the possible adverse effects of ADMs on the gut microbiome are not well characterized. Methods: This project investigates the impact of three selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, sertraline, fluoxetine, citalopram; one norepinephrine and dopamine reuptake inhibitor, bupropion; and one tetracyclic antidepressant, mirtazapine, on the growth of eight species of gut bacteria, Bacteroides fragilis, Bifidobacterium longum, Bacteroides uniformis, Collinsella aerofaciens, Prevotella copri, Escherichia coli, Akkermansia muciniphila, and Lactobacillus plantarum. Bacteria were treated with various concentrations of each ADM to determine potential impact on growth. We calculated the concentration of drug needed to inhibit growth by 50% (IC50) using spectrophotometry. Results Several ADMs inhibited gut bacterial growth. At 50% bacterial growth inhibition, the most prominent was sertraline (28.742 μM), followed by bupropion (43.976 μM), then fluoxetine (76.449 μM). Citalopram (244.738 μM) and mirtazapine (294.316 μM) exhibited far less inhibition. Discussion These findings suggest ADMs have antibiotic effects that disturb the microbiome resulting in potential consequences for microbiota-GBA interactions. Building on these results, future experimentation will measure uptake and metabolism of ADMs by exposing bacteria to each drug longitudinally. Metabolites will be characterized using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Conclusion Given the profound impact of the gut microbiome on the gut-brain axis, these data provide novel insights into potential mechanisms by which ADMs could have unintended consequences on the gut that may perpetuate, instead of treat, mood disorders thus the microbiome should be further investigated in relation to ADMs.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Postpartum Depression: Information and Treatment Options
    (2009-05-04) Keppeler, Philip
    There have been relatively few well-designed studies investigating the efficacy of SSRIs or other antidepressants to treat postpartum depression, and questions remain about the safety of SSRIs for nursing mothers. Although not statistically significant, the study cited in this report and project supports the efficacy and use of antidepressants in a select population of women suffering from postpartum depression. The same study supports cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) as equally effective in treating postpartum depression.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Sad Mommies Might Lead to Sad Babies
    (2012-04-10) Bissonette, Melvina
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors) and Sexual Side Effects in Women
    (2008-11-24) Swanson, Gloria
    Women on SSRIs may experience sexual side effects. There are a variety of ways to deal with these effects. Sildenafil is one medication that may help ameliorate these side effects.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Why is my SSRI making me SShaky?
    (2012-07-26) Nwulu, Chika