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MEDICINE FOR DEPRESSION

Aims

This leaflet is for anyone who wants to know more about antidepressants. It discusses how they work, why they are prescribed, their effects and side-effects, and alternative treatments. If your questions are not answered in this leaflet, there are some references and sources of further information at the end of this leaflet.

Where there are areas of disagreement, we have given references to other publications which will allow you to look into these issues for yourself. These include the effectiveness of antidepressants, problems when you stop taking them, and how they compare with other treatments. At the time of writing, these references were available free and in full on the Internet.

What are antidepressants?

Antidepressants are drugs that relieve the symptoms of depression. They were first developed in the 1950s and have been used regularly since then. There are almost thirty different kinds of antidepressants available today and there are four main types:

• Tricyclics
• MAOIs (Monoamine oxidase inhibitors)
• SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors)
• SNRIs (Serotonin and Noradrenaline Reuptake Inhibitors)

How do they work?

We don't know for certain, but we think that antidepressants work by increasing the activity of certain chemicals work in our brains called neurotransmitters. They pass signals from one brain cell to another. The chemicals most involved in depression are thought to be Serotonin and Noradrenaline.

What are antidepressants used for?

• Moderate to severe depressive illness (Not mild depression).
• Severe anxiety and panic attacks
• Obsessive compulsive disorders
• Chronic pain
• Eating disorders
• Post-traumatic stress disorder.

If you are not clear about why an antidepressant has been suggested for you, ask your doctor.

How well do they work?

After 3 months of treatment, the proportions of people with depression who will be much improved are:

50% and 65% if given an antidepressant
compared with
25 - 30% if given an inactive "dummy" pill, or placebo

It may seem surprising that people given placebo tablets improve, but this happens with all tablets that affect how we feel - the effect is similar with painkillers. Antidepressants are helpful but, like many other medicines, some of the benefit is due to the placebo effect.

MEDICAL

In a snapshot survey published by Terrence Higgins Trust today, two thirds of top organisations were found to ask irrelevant health related questions on job application forms. A coalition of charities wants these questions banned to reduce the discrimination faced by people with 'invisible' conditions such as mental illness or HIV.

HIV and sexual health charity Terrence Higgins Trust (THT), NAT (National AIDS Trust) and leading mental health charity Rethink are among the organisations that want an amendment to the Equality Bill to ban irrelevant health-related questions until after a job offer has been made. Employers could still ask in advance about conditions which would affect a candidate's ability to undertake that particular role.

THT surveyed the application forms of 50 organisations including charities, local councils, government departments, police forces, fire brigades, health services, law firms, colleges, and housing and construction companies. 66% asked medical questions on their application forms including questions asking whether candidates have specific disabilities. Some companies also expect candidates to undergo medical examinations and even blood tests, prior to being offered jobs.

Under the current system, employers are allowed to ask about disabilities, if the candidate is taking medication or has a medical condition - even if it has no relevance to the job. This can lead to discrimination and allows employers to make decisions based on prejudice, rather than ability. The coalition wants to see the Equality Bill amended to prevent this from happening.

In the United States and a significant number of EU member states, pre-interview disclosure is against the law, offering significant protection to people with disabilities and long-term medical conditions.

MEDICAL CYCLE

MEDICINES

Liquid Medicine Dispenser

Quantex pumps provide a simple solution to accurate dosing of liquid medicines.

It isn't easy to pour liquid medicines and syrups into a cup or spoon to give an accurate dose. It is more difficult if you have limited dexterity or eyesight. In the middle of the night, and in a hurry to provide medicine for a child, it is even more difficult.

The Quantex medicine dispenser is designed to provide the correct dose at all times. The dispenser pump replaces a conventional cap. Rotating the pump delivers an accurate dose into a normal spoon or small cup. The cap will click for each 1ml of fluid dispensed: 5 clicks, 5ml. No more peering at scales on a syringe, or trying to work out how much or how little fills a spoon correctly.

If you want to find out more, please contact us and we can discuss designing custom-made dispensers for your brand. To allow for more freedom of formulation Quantex incorporates physical barriers to preserve sterility of the pack contents.

We can also design automatic dispensers using the same pump mechanism. Medicine is provided on demand by pushing a button. Particularly suitable for patients who have difficulty remembering whether they have taken their regular medication, the controller can be programmed to limit consumption, and warn when a dose is overdue.

HOSPITAL