Depression
A disease that affects millions of Americans each year, believed to
be caused by an imbalance of certain chemicals in the brain, called
neurotransmitters.
Drug-Drug Interactions
This is when two or more different drugs interact and alter their
intended effects, often causing adverse events. Drug interactions
are a concern for those patients who may be taking many different
medicines at once, such as elderly patients. Medicines with favorable
drug-drug interaction profiles do not interfere with the metabolism
of many drugs and require few changes in dose on the part of physicians.
Effexor® (venlafaxine HCl)
Effexor is used to treat depression, generalized anxiety disorder,
and social anxiety disorder. It is an SNRI (serotonin and norepinephrine
reuptake inhibitor) and is believed to help treat depression and the
associated symptoms of anxiety by affecting the level of two chemicals
in the brain—serotonin and norepinephrine.
Efficacy
The term used to indicate that a drug works. When new drugs are created
in the United States, before they can be used by patients, clinical
efficacy trials must be conducted to prove the drug produces a significant
improvement compared with placebo (sugar pill).
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
An overwhelming sense of apprehension
and fear often accompanied by physical symptoms such as tension, sweating,
or increased pulse rate. Anxiety symptoms are commonly associated
with depression.
Indication
The disease a drug is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) to treat; for example, Lexapro is indicated for the treatment
of depression and GAD.
Isomers
Molecules with the same chemical formula but with a different spatial
arrangement of the atoms, which may cause different effects in the
human body. Isomers occur in nature; their unique properties hold
promise for many future medicines.
Lexapro® (escitalopram oxalate)
Lexapro is a member of the SSRI class of antidepressant medicines.
Lexapro was approved by the FDA in August 2002, and is a well-tolerated
and powerful medicine that effectively treats depression and anxiety
symptoms associated with depression. Lexapro is the isomer of Celexa.
Effexor is a registered trademark of Wyeth Pharmaceuticals.
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