Differences between SSRI anitdepressents?!
Question: Paxil, Zoloft, Prozac, etc... are all SSRI anti-depressents so what is the difference from one or the other? I hope this doesn't sound like an ignorant question, I'm just wondering if they all work on the same chemical what exactly is the differences? I know that Zoloft may work better for one person & Paxil may work better for another but it seems as though they would all be the same drug with different names. Could someone please shed some light on this for me?
Answers: Paxil, Zoloft, Prozac, etc... are all SSRI anti-depressents so what is the difference from one or the other? I hope this doesn't sound like an ignorant question, I'm just wondering if they all work on the same chemical what exactly is the differences? I know that Zoloft may work better for one person & Paxil may work better for another but it seems as though they would all be the same drug with different names. Could someone please shed some light on this for me?
Here's the truth:
The experts aren't exactly sure how SSRIs work! But, as you know, all SSRIs work to keep more seretonin floating around in the brain before it's snapped up by a nerve receptor.
Chemically, I don't know the difference in the brands -- but they are very individual. Some might give you upset stomach, weight gain, etc. And some may not. It's different for every person. What works for you might might not work for someone else.
So, they all work on seretonin... but doctors aren't exactly sure how and why.
How's that?
:)
Many small differences.
half-life (prozac long, zoloft short)
sleep distrubance
sexual side effects
% of serotonin effected
GI side effects (prozac often more)
amount of effects on other neurotransmitters
moleculer structure
possibly development/history (i.e. prozac comes from an antihistamine)
rate and time of response
inhabition/ habition?
If you tried them, you would know they are different.
they are different chemicals and work differently. Some like Zoloft address only one area. Ones like Effexor address two.
Each person has a slightly different chemical make up, so different drugs may be more or less effective.
SSRI is a "class" of drugs, not just one drug.