Why do antidepressants make you tired?

If you are someone who takes antidepressants regularly, or knows someone who does, then you must have heard the famous saying – “it is better to feel sleepy than Blue.” But why do so many people taking these prescribed drugs complain about feeling lethargic and in a constant state of zombification? In this article, we’ll dive deep into what happens when you take these mood-enhancing prescription pills and give an insight into why they make the lazy old panda look like Usain Bolt.

Understanding Antidepressants

Before we get down to the ‘why’ part let’s first understand how antidepressant medication works. These medications are designed to alter the chemicals in our brain that affect and regulate moods such as serotonin and norepinephrine. By increasing their levels, it helps regulate anxiety, depression-like symptoms(emotionally labile/anxiety), help control pain(extremely stressed), stabilize sleep cycles(insomniac it is) as well as appetite(think stress-eating).

What Kind Of Pills Can Make You A Zombie?

Antidepressants can be classified under 4 different types –

  • Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs)
  • Serotonin And Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRIs)
  • Tricyclic Antidepressants(TCAs)
  • Monoamine Oxidase inhibitors(MAOI)

Among these classes of drugs SSRIs, also known as Prozac(A type of fluoxetine) or Citalopram(a.K.a Celexa)are widely used and commonly responsible for making patients lazybeds after ingestion. Reasons behind what sets off this avalanche effect post-taking antidepressant medicines will be discussed with humor below.

Sleepiness Is Not Just Because of Drowsiness

The most common symptom of people taking antidepressants is sleepiness. But it is crucial to understand that this lethargy has nothing to do with pure drowsiness or restlessness, which stems from our circadian rhythm (Our body’s natural alarm clock).

Melatonin Vs Antidepressants

Antidepressants meddle with the levels of neurotransmitters in your brain while melatonin, on the other hand, works by regulating sleep cycles and syncing up with circadian rhythms. Hence, these are fundamentally two different phenomena; hence their effects have little correlation.

### The Dopamine Factor

If you’ve ever experienced withdrawal symptoms after stopping an antidepressant medication abruptly or missed a few dosesyou’d know how that feels like! This mental fog can be explained by dopamine a chemical released from neurons known as dopamine-producing nerve cells. Our brains crave dopamine since it helps regulate motivation(many non-depressed college students take Adderall for cram sessions)it rewards when we complete tasks and get things done(more happiness hormones= more pleasure!). Taking an antidepressant increases serotonin production in our brains but curbs dopamine production simultaneously – Which kills multiple birds at once!

Antidepressants Affecting Energy Levels – Scientifically Speaking?

To put things simply, there isn’t just one answer to why does antidepressant make you feel tired?. Several theories offer rationales for this phenomenon- some involve dosage dependency while others speak about individual responses towards the drug they’re prescribed.

Dosage Dependency Theory

One theory surrounding why people using antidepressants experience fatigue blames dose dependency effect- indicating that large quantities decrease alertness and induce drowsiness; however, reduced amounts produce higher energy(spiked!) levels. While work performance improves( productivity benefits), too much dosage might end up inducing laziness(big time-somnia!).

Individual Reaction To Medicines/Genetic Predisposition Theory(Dope Right?)

While anecdotal evidence through personal experiences poses evident credibility issues, it is still worth considering how its genetic makeup influences an individual’s receptors response to antidepressants – particularly in the way of reactions like sluggishness or lethargy. Since every human being is unique and our genes might operate differently from one another according to biological factors that are involved.

Theories above all contribute a lot; however, some cognitive side effects confound treatment comparability (what?) such as misdiagnosis(roughly diagnosing a person with depression/anxiety), medication history(random shots at medicines).

Moody Medications & Sleep

Antidepressants can alter sleep patterns significantly- hindering both healthy restful nap time and leaving most people dozing off during regular routine activities like working on computers, reading books without any awareness. However, the quality of sleep will vary across different types of ways people experience these medications.

REM Suppressing ANtidepresSANTS (RIII-Dick)

Specific Antidepressant drugs may impact REM sleep directly by suppressing them fully or partially(likely cause vivid dreams’). Seeing as Rem suppression affects your dream cycle/the duration for which you dream(i.e., restoring emotional balance/maintaining wakefulness levels/daytime alertness)the reason behind feeling sleepy/tired during daytime activities becomes evident quite quickly(doctor speak!).

Some examples include-

  • Fluoxetine(Prozac)
  • Sertraline(Zoloft)
  • Venlafaxine(Effexor)

Sedating Side Affects

Amongst other occurrences(Sedation-induced Sookie days)reported in patients taking antidepressants records show their characteristics(it’s no secret):

  1. Exhilarated emotions
  2. Irregular functioning
  3. Induced fatigue

Tricyclics are preferred when users want to feel calm and relaxed insomuch they’re also used in cases where patients suffer from chronic pain conditions(fibromyalgia/chronic back pain/some types of headaches).

SNRIs The Whipping Boys

Antidepressants such as SNRIs prove often to be the cause behind several instances where users feel drained are not able to tend to daily activities actively. These medications slow down norepinephrine production in our minds, resulting in less energy levels than usual – inducing decision fatigue and exceeding burnout(overwhelming momentary noise). Some commonly prescribed SNRI drugs include-

  • Duloxetine(Cymbalta)
  • Venlafaxine(Effexor XR)

Getting Ahead of Antidepressant Induced Fatigue

While antidepressants’ primary side effect is tiredness/fatigue/lethargy(snooze-fest!), it is imperative not to stop abruptly taking these medicines and discuss anxiety levels with your doctor before making any changes(Uh-huh!). Additionally, doctors may suggest reducing medication consumption(Tick) over time by either :

  1. Slowly eliminating weak doses for a gradual transition.
  2. Incorporating an exercise regimen routine since that helps improve cognitive performance.

The method chosen typically differs from individual needs/preference/dosage tolerated(fun!).

To Sum It All Up(pyjama-styled!)- Worry Not!

In conclusion; following guidelines, including changing therapies should be at the recommendation of physicians only(Ooh lala!). Referencing natural remedies while substituting trusted prescription dosage involves risks – also being cautious about mood meter variations or how you perceive mental health conditioning(phi-le-hee-hee?).

Taking medicine for bettering one’s health comes with its fair share of pitfalls(indulging afternoon siestas/lunchtime nap-traps/Midnight-Snacker!!); however, it does outweigh the benefits if followed through/harm-free dosages.Doctors can determine patterns related to usage/routine testing. Just remember folks that finding healthy ways(coffee stimulant!)to sustain high energy levels – the lazy old panda can be kept in check!

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