Serotonin

We have talked a lot about serotonin, which has many functions in the nervous system. Serotonin plays a role in:

• Our mood
• Our sleep patterns
• Our pain threshold
• Our impulsiveness
• Our sexual behaviour
• Regulating our appetite

When patients with depression are treated with an antidepressant medication that increases the amount of serotonin in the synaptic cleft, all of the above functions will be affected.

First and foremost their mood will improve. This is the desired effect of the antidepressant.

Their sleep may also be affected and their appetite may change. Some sexual functions may be affected, their pain threshold may increase and control over impulsive behaviour may change.

Side effects from treatment with SSRIs?

Here are the side effects that may result from treatment with SSRIs. Note that the side effects vary from drug to drug - ask your family physician!

Remember that you are likely to experience side effects in the first couple of weeks of treatment. In most cases the side effects are mild and transient. If they are severe or do not go away in the first few weeks, you should talk to you doctor about it.

• Restlessness
• Sleep problems
• Dry mouth
• Nausea and vomiting
• Headache
• Sexual problems (loss of libido, delayed ejaculation, inability to ejaculate)
• Weight gain
• Changes in the body's salt balance

We hope that you now have a good idea of how the brain works. It is a highly complex structure and intensive research continues to explore its many mysteries.