Modern drugs that are used to treat depressive disorders act through neurotransmitters - chemical substances that ensure the transmission of nerve impulses between neurons. Since several neurotransmitters are involved in disorders of the brain, a huge number of drugs with different mechanisms of action are used for treatment.
Description of the drug
Novo-Passit is a combined medication, the mechanism of action of which is provided by the substances included in the composition. All components are extracts based on healing plant materials with a calming effect. It is also characterized by anti-anxiety effects.
The drug has a complex effect on pathological neuropsychic processes, fights excitability, anxiety, and irritability. The product has proven itself to be effective in restoring normal sleep. It is also actively used for the purpose of carrying out preventive measures to prevent various diseases.
Release form and composition
Novo-Passit is produced in the form of film-coated tablets and in the form of a solution for oral use. The medicine contains only natural ingredients. Contains:
- muscle relaxant and anxiolytic – active ingredients;
- St. John's wort, characterized by antidepressant effects;
- valerian is characterized by a calming, mild hypnotic effect;
- black elderberry flowers;
- medicinal lemon balm;
- hawthorn flowers and leaves;
- passionflower incarnate.
The effect of the drug is due to the properties of each component. There are 30, 60 or 100 tablets in a jar, or 10 tablets per lozenge.
Tranquilizers against depression
Medicines in this category are indicated for people with pronounced symptoms of neurosis - phobias, tension, anxiety. Tranquilizers relax muscles and relieve emotional stress.
At the beginning of treatment, the patient may experience attacks of dizziness, nausea, drowsiness, weakness, but as the body adapts, it begins to get used to the active substance, and side effects disappear.
Tranquilizers have numerous contraindications for use; you should consult a doctor before using them. It is unacceptable to exceed the recommended dosage in order to prevent unpleasant consequences.
Indications for use
Novo-Passit is indicated for mild forms of neurasthenia, which is accompanied by the following symptoms:
- fatigue;
- impotence;
- fears;
- absent-mindedness;
- memory impairment;
- exhaustion;
- increased anxiety.
The product is also used for milder forms of sleep problems, increased neuromuscular excitability, migraine attacks, vegetative-vascular dystonia, menopausal syndrome, functional diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, dermatoses accompanied by itching.
Contraindications and special instructions
Novo-Passit is contraindicated for:
- myasthenia gravis;
- hypersensitivity to the components in the composition;
- epilepsy;
- pregnancy;
- lactation.
The presence of these conditions is an absolute prohibition on taking the drug. The drug is prescribed with special caution to children under 12 years of age, as well as to people suffering from disorders of the gastrointestinal tract.
During therapy, you should refrain from driving and using machinery, as taking the medication reduces attention and slows down mental and motor reactions. This can cause trauma to the patient.
Do not drink alcohol during use. Patients with fair skin should avoid exposure to ultraviolet rays. If all symptoms of the disease persist for a week, it is important to consult a doctor.
Can antidepressants cure depression?
To know how antidepressants work, you have to go deeper into history. Until 1960, there were no medications in the world that could treat stress, depression, and anxiety. Only a few doctors used morphine and opium for severe mental disorders.
In the late 1950s, a theory emerged that depression could be caused by a chemical imbalance: too little or too much serotonin and dopamine in the brain. This theory has not yet been confirmed, because it is impossible to measure the level of serotonin or dopamine in the human brain to this day. But this did not prevent the creation of the first antidepressants and the establishment of their sales. In the early 1970s, Prozac was invented. The creation of a cure for depression opened up a huge market. Sales of Prozac and other antidepressants have risen steadily since 1988, but research has still failed to find a clear link between serotonin deficiency and emotional distress.
According to the BBC, recent research from the British University (an analysis of reports from 47 clinical trials of antidepressants involving 5,133 patients) showed that antidepressants such as Prozac and Seroxat were no more effective than placebo in treating depression.
Despite the lack of evidence, many people are absolutely convinced that all anxiety is just a failure in the system, and any disorder can be cured with pills.
Side effects
Taking Novo-Passit may provoke some unwanted reactions. The main ones include:
- drowsiness;
- general malaise;
- tight circles under the eyes;
- headache;
- nausea and vomiting;
- muscle weakness;
- constant feeling of fatigue;
- allergic rashes;
- cramps and heartburn;
- problems with stool.
If side effects occur, you should stop taking the drug. You will need to contact your doctor, who will select an analogue.
Instructions for use and dosage
Adult patients and children over 12 years of age take 1 tablet or 5 ml of suspension three times a day before meals. It is advisable to take every 4-5 hours. It is possible to increase the dosage to 2 tablets, but only after consulting a doctor. For constant fatigue, powerlessness, depression, use half the dosage.
It is advisable to use Novo-Passit in elderly patients with mental disorders. Start treatment with the minimum dosage. The drug is not used during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Prescription is possible only after agreement with the doctor. During lactation, stop breastfeeding for a while.
Myth 2: Depression is always triggered by stress or shock.
In fact, a lot depends on the person’s psychotype. It happens that the stress experienced puts a person into a state of post-traumatic depression. However, it often happens that shock can cause a person to come out of a depressive state.
Most often, depression is the result of an accumulation of negative emotions. Sometimes, in order to identify the cause of the disease, it is necessary to “rewind” the patient’s life several years ago.
Stress manifests itself differently for everyone. For some, it results in purely psychological manifestations - the appearance of phobias, overt depression. And in other people, the stress they experience provokes diseases of the internal organs. Psychiatrists call this phenomenon somatized or masked depression.
In choleric people, stress most often provokes diseases of the cardiovascular system (heart attack, ischemic heart disease, hypertension), as well as urological problems and duodenal ulcers.
Melancholic people, after experiencing stress, risk developing stomach ulcers, neurodermatitis, and asthmatic conditions.
But phlegmatic and sanguine people are less prone to nervous diseases.
Customer Reviews
Reviews of Novo-Passit for insomnia are extremely positive.
Igor, 29 years old
“A year ago I lost a friend, after which a terrible depression began. His departure left a significant imprint. I started having health problems, became nervous, tense, and aggressive. I could not sleep at all. I went to see a doctor who recommended Novo-Passit. I took it strictly as prescribed and within a couple of days I felt improvements. The feeling of fear and anxiety has passed. My sleep has improved significantly, I can fall asleep normally, and I don’t wake up at night.”
Alina, 35 years old
“Recently I have become very ill, and the constant lack of sleep has provoked irritability and nervousness. Without even wanting to, I offend people. I drank Novo-Passit and am pleased with the result. The drug has a very mild effect, so it does not cause harm. I feel calmer and sleep well.”
"Magic pill" for depression. Who benefits from the distribution of psychotropic drugs?
Sverdlovsk psychiatrists and psychotherapists are sounding the alarm - the level of neurotic depression among the population is growing, but citizens are in no hurry to receive proper treatment. Many people prefer to take antidepressants, often not realizing the need for therapy or not being able to get it. In recent years, the level of use of psychotropic drugs has increased, despite the fact that experts openly discourage their use. Read about why depression has become a new scourge of modern society, what caused the increase in drug use and who benefits from it in the EAN material.
Causes of depression
According to WHO, next year depression will become the most common disease in the world. Doctors seriously fear that it will paralyze the economic and social development of countries. According to the head of the Mental Health Clinic of Dr. Alexandrov, Maxim Alexandrov , the percentage of people with a genetic predisposition to mental illness is always the same and does not depend on external factors. But today there are more mental illnesses of the neurotic level and anxiety disorders in the world. The expert notes that the growth in indicators is due to relatively healthy people with adaptation disorders. Often, family breakdown, loss of meaning in life, increased life expectancy and increased quality of life play a big role in this.
“Life has become more comfortable, and, on the one hand, this is good. But there is also a downside: the better a society lives, the higher its level of anxiety and depression. For example, during the Great Patriotic War, rates of mental disorders in the country fell sharply, and after its end, some time later, when life began to improve, the dynamics of mental illnesses increased,” says the psychotherapist.
The statistics are frightening: today 30-40% of the world's population have mental health problems. But you need to understand that this is neurotic depression, it can be cured if you consult a psychotherapist, says Maxim Alexandrov.
At-risk groups
Like any other disease, depression has its own risk groups - gender, age, geography, and so on. The head of the Elizar-Med clinic, Dmitry Detkov, gives the example of working managers under the age of 30. According to him, this group has a low risk of developing depression due to age and employment.
“At this age, a person often tends to see everything in pink. Things are much more complicated for people who have crossed the threshold of thirty years: here they are already beginning to understand that they are not omnipotent, that illnesses exist, and that some are faced with the death of loved ones. There is also a big difference between family people and single people - the latter suffer due to lack of support, they are forced to cope with all the difficulties themselves, this can often lead to problems,” the specialist notes.
It is also worth paying attention to people who retire and lose their jobs and their social status - this is also a very high risk percentage.
There are dangers associated with human professional activities. Those who work with a high flow of information and in areas where reforms are constantly being carried out may suffer the most. These are dispatchers, doctors, law enforcement officers, education officials, and the media.
“I was approached by educators and teachers with extensive experience and experience. People simply cannot cope with the flow of documents, regulations, and constant changes,” explained Dmitry Detkov.
Bye-bye, stigma?
Seeking help from psychiatrists in Russia has never been popular, experts note with regret. This is considered shameful: people are afraid that they will be considered crazy. Doctors differ on whether the picture has changed in recent years and whether the stigmatization of mental disorders in society is disappearing.
Tatyana Tomilova, a specialist at the Center for Psychological Consulting and Psychoanalysis , says that the population’s loyalty to psychiatric care is gradually growing.
“I noticed that we have become a little more loyal to psychotherapy. Of course, the negativity still persists, there are patients who make a lot of circles, go to specialists, complain, and are examined. The doctors find nothing and end up sending him to a psychotherapist. After some time, maybe even years, in an already neglected state, sometimes even taking tranquilizers, they come to us,” notes Tomilova.
The psychotherapist also attributes the increase in indicators for identifying depression to an increase in visits to specialists.
“I think that the number of diseases has not increased significantly; rather, people have begun to contact us more often, and there are more young people, young men - and this is good. They became less afraid of psychotherapists, as well as dentists,” added Tatyana Tomilova.
Maya Sklyar, a psychotherapist at the UMMC-Health clinic agrees with her , noting that people have become more aware of mental health issues.
“It used to be different because of stigma: many did not believe that there was depression - a mental illness that prevents a person from living and working, and they were advised to go in for sports,” explains Sklyar.
Dmitry Detkov does not yet see progress and does not believe that citizens have become more active in turning to psychotherapy.
“Many people still find it difficult to recognize the need to seek mental health help.
“I went for help, that means I’m a fool,” people reason. Everyone forgets that the brain is the control center of our body and our health, it is the most important organ. Therefore, I can say that the stigmatization of the problem has not gone away. They come to us when everything is really bad. Sometimes loved ones who see a person’s condition persuade them to seek help. And for a sick person to come on his own when everything is not yet running – this happens extremely rarely,” Detkov complains.
According to him, first of all, you should contact a psychotherapist with any neurotic problems, and only then go to other specialized specialists.
“Unfortunately, in the initial stages of some disorders, people prefer to go to the wrong place. If you compare the number of practicing psychiatrists or psychotherapists and those who provide psychic services, you will see the difference yourself,” the doctor complains.
Antidepressants - pros and cons
All experts unanimously agreed that people today have begun to use psychotropic drugs more often. But there are not many people who really need them. Many people prefer to ask their doctor for a prescription, hoping that the “magic pill” will solve all their problems. There is also a large percentage of those who receive prescriptions for antidepressants from doctors of other specialties.
“It’s very difficult to work on yourself, but it’s easier to live with the drug. Depending on the circumstances, such as age, prognosis, severity of the condition, sometimes I prescribe it if the client really insists for certain reasons - he came from afar or he does not have the means to regularly visit a specialist. A person needs help one way or another, and antidepressants are a type of help,” says Tatyana Tomilova.
According to her observations, neurologists and therapists began to prescribe antidepressants more often. “Unfortunately, this is not always done correctly. Everything is clear: an antidepressant is necessary if you have depression. And it still needs to be diagnosed. Classically, psychotherapists do not like to prescribe drugs, except in severe cases. They need to be selected very carefully,” explains the doctor.
According to Maya Sklyar, non-psychiatric doctors often prescribe antidepressants for mental attacks and anxiety, when in fact talking therapy would be enough.
Another factor contributing to the increase in the use of antidepressants was advertising by pharmaceutical companies, including among doctors. They work at medical conferences and say that antidepressants should be prescribed even to risk groups as a preventive measure, notes Maya Sklyar.
However, this is not always a bad thing, she says. Sometimes in neurology antidepressants need to be taken, for example, for chronic pain syndrome. Psychotropic medications are standard treatment for this disease, and many people experience relief as a result. On the one hand, this is good: the level of quality of life of sick people rises, but on the other hand, sometimes the medication is prescribed inappropriately, and it is better for the patient to undergo psychotherapy.
“Today every second patient comes with panic attacks and anxiety disorders. Therefore, antidepressants are now prescribed as an anti-anxiety drug rather than an antidepressant. And anxiety attacks are not treated with antidepressants. Many neurologists stubbornly prescribe them. I would urge doctors to first send patients to psychotherapists and psychiatrists, and then minimize the percentage of prescriptions of such drugs and let us do our job ,” sums up Maya Sklyar.
Previously, only psychiatrists could prescribe antidepressants, because they were first- or second-generation drugs and they needed a clear dosage, explains Maxim Alexandrov.
Today, any doctor can prescribe them; this practice came to us from other countries and is associated with the interests of the pharmaceutical business.
“There, if a person complains of low mood or anxiety, no one will ever send him to a psychiatrist. Such a person will be treated by a general practitioner who will be able to prescribe the necessary medications. This is due to the fact that insurance companies save money: in developed countries, a consultation with a psychiatrist costs about $300. Few citizens can afford this. And due to the fact that it is not easy to get to specialized specialists, the idea of treatment from general practitioners began to be promoted. Gradually, this scheme began to work in our country, promoted, among other things, by pharmaceutical companies who benefit from it. But we don’t have any problems with doctors and visiting a psychotherapist is quite affordable,” says Maxim Alexandrov.
In the next article we will talk in more detail about risk groups and emotional burnout.
