Why You Should Not Miss An SSRI Dose If You Have Been Taking It For The Treatment Of Depression?

SSRI is short for 'selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor'. As the name suggests, SSRI drugs are selective in their action. They act on serotonin, the neurotransmitter that flows through neuronal cells and is responsible for the person's state of mind. If there is an irregularity in the balance of serotonin availability in the neuronal cells, the person experiences a negative state of mind, which is manifest by bad mood, depression, high levels of anxiety and other such problems. SSRIs regularize the balance of serotonin by inhibiting their reuptake (or 'pull-back') by previous neuronal cells in the cell-by-cell path in which serotonin flows. This explains the term 'selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor'.

Why it's important not to miss a dose: SSRI drugs don't show their therapeutic action immediately on start of treatment. Lexapro, supposedly the best SSRI, takes around weeks to start action. Older SSRI take even longer - six weeks or more. The therapeutic action is the result of sustained action on the brain with regard to serotonin. Thus, if you miss a dose, there comes a break in the continuity of action. Your body can misinterpret this interruption as an abrupt withdrawal (which can lead to withdrawal symptoms that can be pretty severe), or it can delay the onset of therapeutic action.

A delay in the onset of therapeutic action can be misunderstood by the patient as a sign of the medication's ineffect

veness. This can depress his or her state of mind even further, especially if the interruption happens within the first two-to-four weeks of treatment, i.e., in the run-up to the onset of discernible healing action.

There have been reports of some patients being driven to self-harm and suicide, though these are rarest of the rare cases with SSRIs, especially with the relatively new SSRI, escitalopram oxalate (brand name: Lexapro). Finally, if you do miss a dose however, take it as soon as you remember it provided there are several hours to go for the next scheduled dose. However, if there are only a few hours, or less, to go for the next dose, let the missed dose go by and continue with the next scheduled dose and try your best not to miss any subsequent dose. Under no circumstances, however, take two doses at once or in very close succession of each other.

http://www.pdrhealth.com
http://www.anxiety-and-depression-solutions.com
http://www.lexaproinfo.org