Heterocyclic+Antidepressants

A study was conducted that measured the difference in effects of stroke patients with and without depression, and measured whom responded to treatment and whom did not. Interestingly, prior research indicates that up to 50% of post-stroke patients suffer with depression, which is important to note. Further, the results of this study indicate that antidepressant medications were extremely effective in improving depression. However, the treatment using heterocyclics attributed significant attrition due to the immense side effects. Thus, the implementation of 'heterocyclic compounds' was problematic. Overall, the study concludes by suggesting that antidepressants were generally effective for stroke patients suffering from depression. (Bhogal, Teasell, Foley, & Speechley, 2005).

Withdrawal of Antidepressants & Heterocyclics
Heterocyclic antidepressants cause a variety of adverse withdrawal symptoms, which is a common clinical occurrence. Withdrawal symptoms begin approximately 14 days of abstinence. It is also important to note that antidepressant withdrawal symptoms act like symptoms of a 'depressive relapse'. These withdrawal symptoms could be further treated with gradually tapering away from the drug.

The antidepressant withdrawal symptoms are gathered together into 3 main symptoms:


 * 1) // "Gastrointestinal or somatic distress, with or without anxiety and agitation //
 * 2) // Sleep disturbance with vivid and terrifying dreams //
 * 3) // Parkinsonism, akathisia (movement disorder) //
 * 4) // Paradoxical mania" //

(Dilsaver, 1990).

The withdrawal symptoms for heterocyclic antidepressants in particular include: -nausea -anorexia -insomnia The insomnia can be further characterized as frightening, vivid, and excessive dreams.

(Dilsaver, 1990).