Understanding Stimulants for Depression: Uses & Considerations

Stimulants make people more alert, increase attention spans and give people more energy. If someone with depression doesn't respond to other drugs, often doctors prescribe stimulants.

Depression

• Normal depression occurs when someone experiences a loss. Overreaction to the loss or prolonged depression may require medical treatment.

Chemical Imbalance

• Sometimes there's no apparent reason for depression. In this case, it may stem from a chemical imbalance in the brain.

Treatment

• When other treatments fail, doctors may look to a dopamine dysfunction in the patient. Dopamine stimulants added to antidepressant medication works for some that find no relief from the antidepressant medication alone.

Function

• Stimulants often have similar chemical structures as monoamines, the brain's neurotransmitters. They increase dopamine, which can give the person a sense of euphoria.

Use

• Stimulants alone aren't the answer for depression patients. They are helpful in some cases but only in conjunction with other antidepressants.

Warning

• Besides the potential side effects of irregular or rapid heat beat, reduced appetite, weight loss, potential interaction with over-the-counter cold medicine and heart failure, stimulants are also addictive and need to be used only with guidance from a physician.