Antidepressants In fact, it's commonly prescribed off-label for insomnia. Serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) like escitalopram (Lexapro), paroxetine (Paxil), and fluoxetine (Prozac), taken for depression or anxiety, can make you feel sleepy.
Fatigue, drowsiness
Fatigue and drowsiness are common, especially during early weeks of treatment with an antidepressant.
Why Antidepressants Cause Fatigue. Certain antidepressants work by acting on brain chemicals called neurotransmitters—in particular norepinephrine and serotonin—causing them to linger in the spaces between nerve cells where they carry out their job of regulating mood.
One type of antidepressant called tricyclics can make you feel tired and sleepy. Some are more likely to do that than others, like amitriptyline (Elavil, Vanatrip), doxepin (Silenor, Sinequan), imipramine (Tofranil, Tofranil PM), and trimipramine (Surmontil).
This is because antidepressants can increase your energy and motivation levels, which may be very low while you are depressed. Early in your treatment, you may experience more energy and motivation before your feelings of depression have started to lift. This might mean you have enough energy act on suicidal urges.
Another fact you should be aware of is that you're more likely to experience fatigue in the initial stages of antidepressant treatment. The tiredness sometimes lessens as your body gets used to the medication. Giving your body some time and trying not to worry too much if you suddenly feel fatigued is the key.
How do I know if my antidepressant works? When you start taking an antidepressant, you should begin to function better in your daily life before you start feeling better, says Dr. Michael McGee. In other words, you should begin sleeping better, eating better, and having more energy.
SSRIs are the most widely prescribed type of antidepressants. They're usually preferred over other antidepressants, as they cause fewer side effects.
Prozac (fluoxetine) and Wellbutrin (bupropion) are examples of “energizing” antidepressants; whereas Paxil (paroxetine) and Celexa (citalopram) tend to be more sedating.
Fatigue or drowsiness is a common side effect experienced by 10% to 38% of antidepressant-treated outpatients. In one study of 401 outpatients,1 70% of people who experienced fatigue had it by 2 weeks, and 63% continued to experience it at 3 months.
One of the widely-reported side effects of SSRIs is 'blunting', where patients report feeling emotionally dull and no longer finding things as pleasurable as they used to. Between 40-60% of patients taking SSRIs are believed to experience this side effect.
While antidepressants are generally intended to help with brain fog, some can cause brain fog as a side effect, depending on the medication and your unique response to it. Sedatives, pain medicine, bladder control medicine and antihistamines are some of the other types of medications that can lead to brain fog.
(If a person who isn't depressed takes antidepressants, they do not improve that person's mood or functioning - it's not a "happy pill.") Rarely, people experience apathy or loss of emotions while on certain antidepressants. When this happens, lowering the dose or switching to a different antidepressant may help.
Serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) like escitalopram (Lexapro), paroxetine (Paxil), and fluoxetine (Prozac), taken for depression or anxiety, can make you feel sleepy.
Antidepressants commonly affect the neurotransmitter known as serotonin, which is responsible for helping your digestive system. This interference with your levels of serotonin could potentially slow down the rate that your body processes fat and sugar and/or increase your desire for foods high in carbohydrates.
Ritalin in the brain
Ritalin works by increasing the amount of dopamine released in the striatum, a key region in the brain related to motivation, action and cognition.
Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft, Celexa, and Lexapro, are just a few brands of serotonin that we prescribe for those who suffer from depression, and/or anxiety disorder. There is evidence that these drugs can also improve premenopausal symptoms, even a role in the treatment of obesity and parkinson's disease.
SSRIs are usually the first choice medicine for depression because they generally have fewer side effects than most other types of antidepressant.
Escitalopram and sertraline stand out.
Bupropion, citalopram, escitalopram, and sertraline were better tolerated than the other antidepressants. Escitalopram and sertraline were found to have the best combination of efficacy and acceptability.
Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs)
This class includes sertraline, citalopram, escitalopram, paroxetine, fluoxetine and fluvoxamine. SSRIs are: the most commonly prescribed antidepressants in Australia. often a doctor's first choice for most types of depression.
You may feel some depression symptoms improve within the first couple weeks, but it can often take 4 to 8 weeks to feel the full effects of your medication. If you've taken your antidepressant for at least 4 weeks with no improvement, let your healthcare provider know.
You may start to feel better within 1 to 3 weeks after you start taking an antidepressant. But you may need to take it for as long as 6 to 8 weeks to see more improvement. It's best to keep taking your medicine for at least 6 months after you feel better.