Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) – Antidepressants (Nursing)

00:00 Hi, welcome to our video series on antidepressants.

00:04 Now in this one, we're gonna specifically look at selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors.

00:11 Ready? Alright, here we go.

00:14 Now, SSRIs increase the circulating serotonin in the synapses by blocking the reuptake of serotonin in the neuron.

00:23 Really? So what? Alright, let's break that down.

00:27 Okay, do we want more circulating serotonin? Yes. Here's why.

00:33 Serotonin is a neurotransmitter, right? That's a messenger.

00:38 So serotonin is a neurotransmitter believed to help regulate -- ready for this list? Your mood, social behavior, appetite, digestion, sleep, memory, sexual desire, and function. Okay? That's a really long list. So make sure you kinda take some notes on that.

01:01 We're talking about mood, number one, and social behavior.

01:04 Those are really the things we're after. But it also can impact appetite and digestion.

01:10 Hey, these guys are known to kind of cause weight gain.

01:13 Now, it can mess with your sleep, sometimes it can keep you up.

01:17 It messes with your memory sometimes.

01:20 It impacts your memory, sexual desire and function.

01:24 So these are great in helping certain patients feel better but they can have a series of side effects that may make someone hesitant to continue taking the medication.

01:34 So first of all, let's lay the groundwork.

01:37 SSRIs increase circulating serotonin in the synapses because they block it from being reuptaken into the neuron so instead of having a serotonin up in the neuron, it's still out on those synapses, that's a good thing. We want more of that available.

01:55 See, the theory is that serotonin, if there's not enough of it available in those synapses, is linked to a sad or depressed mood.

02:05 Let me give you some examples.

02:07 Now in this one, we did make an exception, we normally don't put the trademark name in there but I was pretty sure you've seen some of these names before or heard of them so that's why we included them.

02:18 But on the NCLEX exam, the only words that will be there are the generic.

02:22 So the first one, paroxetine, that's Paxil.

02:25 You won't see Paxil because that's a trade name in the parenthesis on the NCLEX.

02:30 You'll see the generic name, paroxetine.

02:33 So let's -- let me give you 5 or so more examples.

02:36 Citalopram, otherwise known as Celexa, that's the trade name.

02:40 Fluoxetine, an old friend Prozac. That one has been around forever.

02:45 It's a really cheap script but it's very effective for certain patients.

02:50 Now the other three, we've got Zoloft, Luvox, and Lexapro.

02:55 Okay, now those are the names that you won't see on the test so make sure you look at the generic names.

03:01 I'd recommend pausing, spending a couple minutes here, just kinda practicing making sure that you know these names.

03:12 Okay, now that you've practiced the names, let's go on.

03:16 So what can we use SSRIs for? Well, since it's an antidepressant, the first one seems kinda obvious, doesn't it? They would use it for depression.

03:28 But they're also pretty good for OCD, some of the things of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

03:34 Also social anxiety, post-traumatic stress syndrome, and panic disorder.

03:40 Now, these are different than depression but they often go hand in hand with depression.

03:45 So this particular group of antidepressants, SSRIs, can be really good in treating these other disorders.

03:53 Now here's your job. Figure out a way you wanna kinda group those together.

03:57 Chunk that information to say what other uses can we use SSRIs for besides depression.

04:04 Now, it can also be helpful in eating disorders, premenstrual dysphoric disorder.

04:11 Now, that is -- premenstrual dysphoric disorder comes in synchrony with your menstrual period.

04:17 So obviously, this is a disorder that we treat in women and it comes right around with perfect timing with your menstrual period so we know that this is what this is.

04:27 You have pretty intense feelings of sadness and depression but it's a couple weeks a month.

04:33 So you can work with your health care provider, with your OB-GYN, and come up with a treatment with SSRIs is usually pretty effective rather quickly.

04:41 Now also we've got enuresis.

04:43 That's kind of an odd one for you to remember but that's also helpful.

04:47 Remember when something seems so different than the other things, it's easier to remember.

04:53 So take a little time here, hang out, see if you can refresh and review this information to make sure you have it solid before we go on to the next section.