The most commonly prescribed antidepressants are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs).
SSRI prescriptions have increased by 400% since the 1990s. In Americans over the age of twelve years old, 1 in 10
are on an SSRI (1 in 5 for women).
How do SSRIs work? Although SSRIs do increase serotonin, that is not the reason for the perceived sense of relief. SSRIs make you feel good not because of increased serotonin, but rather as a result of increasing transmitter substances and brain hormone steroids, causing a lift in mood. SSRIs artificially boost hormones like allopregnanolone, a steroid that blocks inflammation. In addition, the perceived benefits of SSRIs may be from the upregulated expression of neurotrophic factors like brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which produces new brain cells and strengthens existing ones.
The problem is high serotonin is a dangerous place to be. It's important to know the side effects before you start taking any medication.
Elevated serotonin is linked to weight gain, sleep disturbance, anxiety and agitation, sexual dysfunction, an increased risk of diabetes, and more.
Elevated serotonin increases the risk of bleeding in the brain.
"...A
new study published in JAMA Neurology reports that treatment with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and antidepressants in general with strong inhibition of serotonin reuptake is associated with a greater risk of intracranial hemorrhage." The risk for intracranial hemorrhage was 25% higher with the use of SSRIs.
Maternal SSRI/SNRI use may lead to offspring addiction and withdrawal.
"One of the studies the researchers considered in their meta-analysis found that 30% of infants exposed to antidepressants in
pregnancy suffered from neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), an umbrella term for a variety of side effects that occur when a baby goes through withdrawal following prenatal exposure to drugs, whether prescription or otherwise.
The following symptoms of withdrawal in the babies:
- Respiratory Distress
- Hypotonia: decreased muscle tone
- Tachypnea: rapid, shallow breathing
- Tachycardia: unusually rapid heart rate
- Tremors: involuntary quivering movement
- Hypoglycemia: deficiency of glucose in the bloodstream
- Hypertonia: unusually high level of muscle tone or tension
Elevated serotonin can cause hormone disruption.
SSRIs can decrease the production of testosterone, DHEA, progesterone, and DHT, and increase the production of estrogen. In one
study, 6 SSRIs were found to be are "aromatase stimulators," meaning they promote the production of estrogen (which is known to stimulate breast cancer).
Elevated serotonin decreases libido and causes sexual dysfunction.
Researchers propose that elevated serotonin may act as a brake on dopamine signaling in mating-related circuits, thereby decreasing libido—a side effect that nearly 75% of patients taking SSRIs experience.
Elevated serotonin can destroy empathy.
Researchers suggest that antidepressant treatment reduces the aversive responses triggered by exposure to the suffering of others. "Importantly, this cannot be explained by a general blunting of negative affect, as treatment did not change self-experienced pain."
