Although they are not considered to be natural antidepressants, tricyclic antidepressants are one of the oldest classes of available antidepressants in the world. Tricyclic antidepressants were first discovered in the 1950s by Paul Charpentier, a scientist from Rhone-Poulenc, and within a few years of development of effect of serotonin this class of drug became widely known for its beneficial tricyclic antidepressant effects.
Tricyclic Antidepressant History
By 1955, the drug was generating significant revenue as an antipsychotic that was used to treat people with depression. In fact, before the introduction of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, which also offer patients a serotonin boost that affects and improves their mood, tricyclic antidepressants were considered to be the standard treatment for depression.
Tricyclic Antidepressant Information
According to available tricyclic antidepressants information, this substance affects the balance of naturally occurring chemicals found within are there any physical signs of anxiety on the brain known as noradrenaline and serotonin. These chemicals function as neurotransmitters that allow neurons in the brain to communicate with each other and control or regulate bodily functions, including mood, pain, and sleeping patterns.
When a person is depressed, it may be caused by a decreased amount of these two chemicals in the brain because both noradrenaline and serotonin are believed to lighten a person’s mood when released and active within the brain. However, once these chemicals are reabsorbed, they no longer have an effect on mood.
Serotonin Levels And Tricyclic Antidepressants
The prevention of serotonin and norandrenaline reabsorption is one of the primary tricyclic antidepressant effects. By preventing the reabsorption of these chemicals, tricyclic antidepressants are able to provide a norandenaline and serotonin boost in the brain because it causes the neurotransmitters to remain in the brain and remain active. As a result of this noradrenaline and serotonin boost, tricyclic antidepressants are able to improve a person’s mood in a manner similar to that of many natural antidepressants.
However, according to recent studies and the most up to date tricyclic antidepressant information, these drugs have a number of unfavorable symptoms and negative tricyclic antidepressant effects when compared to newer antidepressants such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors.
Like tricyclic antidepressants, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors provide a noradrenaline and serotonin boost in the brain by preventing the reabsorption of these chemicals. A number of commonly used natural antidepressants also enhance a person’s mood and combat depression in this manner.
However, unlike these newer selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, tricyclic antidepressants are known to commonly cause dry mouth, dry nose, blurry vision, lowered gastrointestinal motility or constipation, urinary retention, cognitive and memory impairment, and increased body temperature.
Available tricyclic antidepressant information also states that these drugs may cause drowsiness, anxiety, emotional blunting, confusion, restlessness, dizziness, changes in appetite and weight, sweating, and sexual dysfunction.