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Originally Posted by psychiatric1
I'd have to disagree. The initial stages of SSRI treatment can cause a range of side effects that usually disappear or stabilize. The 3-8 weeks applies to any desired or intended effects of the drug. Many people experience adverse effects at the start of treatment because these drugs affect the neurochemistry immediately (i.e. they inhibit reuptake of serotonin from the very first capsule). As the serotonin receptors adjust, or "downregulate," for the increased level of serotonin in the synapse (takes roughly 3 to 8 weeks), then the antidepressant/anxiety effects occur.
At this point in treatment, there is a lot going on in your brain. Give the Prozac adequate time to work, and you should hopefully experience improvement from there.
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I agree they usually go away. I never have them that bad and they always go away after a couple of weeks. There are a couple that I have had to learn to live with.
I agree with psychiatric1 on the neuro chemistry and the desired effects taking longer and the receptors and all of that. However the side effects are usually caused by receptors all throughout the body and not in the brain. Serotonin serves a number of functions in the body and there are receptors for it all over the body. More serotonin receptors in the intestines that in the brain. Thus the GI issues. Regulate blood pressure, body temp, sexual, and so on. The active metabolites of the drug effect these receptors and give you side effects. Maybe some of them come directly from receptors in the brain, it is probably both. There are so many different receptor for it and it serves so many functions it is no wonder. It is certainly complicated. To bad they couldn't deliver it to exactly where they wanted it. That type of different drug delivery systems is coming.
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The functions of serotonin are numerous and appear to involve control of appetite, sleep, memory and learning, temperature regulation, mood, behavior (including sexual and hallucinogenic behavior), cardiovascular function, muscle contraction, endocrine regulation, and depression (1).
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