Antidepressants in the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRIs) class affect only serotonin and have very little effect on other neurotransmitters. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that helps to relay messages from one brain cell to the next. SSRIs keep brain cells from reabsorbing serotonin after it's released, increasing the amount available to neighboring cells. It is believed that this is how they act to improve depression.

Side Effects

When you first start to take an SSRI you may experience a number of side-effects while your body adjusts to the medication. These could include:

Other less common side effects include:

Be sure to tell your health-care provider if you experience any side-effects. Don't let these lists of side-effects scare you though. Most people experience only a few side- effects or none at all. And even if you do experience side-effects, they'll often decrease or even disappear within a few weeks. Your health-care professional can change your dose or switch you to another medication. Even if you can't tolerate one of the SSRI medications, you may easily tolerate another one in the same class.

Special Considerations

You don't need to avoid any foods while taking an SSRI. While drinking alcohol may not be a good idea if you're depressed, you can drink alcohol in small amounts while taking an SSRI. But be sure to discuss this with your health-care professional first.

Most other medications can be taken safely with an SSRI, but to be sure check with your health-care professional before taking them. A monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI), another class of antidepressant, should never be taken with an SSRI.

You don't need to have blood tests to monitor the level of the SSRI in your blood.

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