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Author: Admin | 2025-04-28
What is the most important information I should know about psychotropic medicines?Psychotropic medicines may cause side effects and pose risks that you should discuss with your healthcare provider.Never take psychotropic drugs (or any prescription medications) without a prescription. Psychotropic drugs are medications that alter mood, perception, and behavior. When used in combination with psychotherapy, psychotropic drugs can be powerful tools in managing conditions such as borderline personality disorder (BPD), anxiety, bipolar disorder, depression, and schizophrenia. About 20% of respondents in the 2020 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) reported taking psychotropic drugs. How Psychotropics Work Psychotropic drugs help control symptoms of mental illness such as mood swings, explosive anger, hallucinations and delusions, and other issues that can interfere with therapy. With these symptoms under better control, you can focus on developing skills to cope with and better manage your mental health. Psychotropic drugs work by altering the balance of neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine, and γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) in your body. These chemical messengers carry signals between your organs to help regulate their functions. In the brain, they help neurons communicate with each other to control mood, concentration, perception, and other aspects of brain function. They're specific to the cells they target. Types of Psychotropic Medicines Depending on your mental health condition and symptoms, your healthcare provider might prescribe one of the following types of psychotropics. Antidepressants The five main categories of antidepressants (and examples of each) are:Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs): Celexa (citalopram), Lexapro (escitalopram), Luvox (fluvoxamine), Paxil (paroxetine), Prozac (fluoxetine), Viibryd (vilazodone), Zoloft (sertraline)Serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs): Cymbalta (duloxetine), Effexor (venlafaxine), Fetzima (levomilnacipran), Pristiq (desvenlafaxine), Savella (milnacipran)Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs): Anafranil (clomipramine), Asendin (amoxapine), Elavil (amitriptyline), Norpramin (desipramine), Pamelor (nortriptyline), Sinequan (doxepin)3, Surmontil (trimipramine), Tofranil (imipramine), Vivactil (protriptyline)Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs): Emsam (selegiline), Marplan (isocarboxazid), Nardil (phenelzine), Parnate
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