Antidepressant Drug Side Effects in Women
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Numerous studies have been done to research SSRI side effects in women, and the results are quite concerning. SSRI drugs are an antidepressant medication prescribed for depressive disorders, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). It is also prescribed for bulimia nervosa, an eating disorder.
SSRI is a type of antidepressant called a Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor, or SSRI, and works to balance the chemicals in the brain. In particular, these drugs increase the level of serotonin, which is believed to enhance mood and alleviate depression. Introduced in 1986, the SSRI drug Prozac is considered to have fewer side effects than many of the other available antidepressants.
Some of the SSRI side effects are similar in men and women. Patients reported nausea, weakness, headaches, diarrhea, weight loss and anxiety. Women also reported amenorrhea, breast pain, menopause and menorrhagia. Because women typically have higher rates of depression, they may be more likely to be prescribed antidepressants and therefore have more side effects ?both general and gender specific--from the drugs.
SSRI side effects in women who are pregnant present an even more disturbing trend. When women take SSRI while pregnant, they increase their chances of having a baby with a birth defect. In fact, studies indicate that depending on when SSRI is taken during the pregnancy, it can affect different developing organs in the unborn baby.
When SSRI drugs are taken early in the pregnancy, it can lead to septal defects in the heart. This may be in the form of a hole in the septal wall that separates the two chambers of the heart.
Taken late in the pregnancy, it can lead to a serious breathing condition called Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the Newborn. When this occurs, babies? circulatory systems are not able to convert to breathing in enough air at birth, instead of relying on getting oxygen through the umbilical cord.
Babies whose mothers have taken antidepressants during the pregnancy also have an increased risk of abdominal and skull abnormalities.
Women may already be taking SSRI at the time the pregnancy occurs, or they may develop symptoms of depression during the pregnancy and require medication. At any rate, doctors must strive for a balance between the benefit of the medicine to the woman and the risk of the medicine to the child. Abruptly stopping the medicine could also prove detrimental to the mother and child because of possible withdrawal. In addition, untreated depression carries its own risks for both the mom and baby.
If you used antidepressants during pregnancy and your child is born with a birth defect, you are encouraged to talk to an attorney about your legal rights. Many people believe that the SSRI manufacturer did not provide doctors and patients with information about SSRI side effects on babies when that connection was first discovered.
Article Source: Articlelogy.com
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