Antidepressants for VSD: application in neurology

Valerian - description of the drug

Valerian is available in the form of an alcoholic infusion (in dark vials) and in the form of tablets. I always use an infusion, it seems to me more effective, so I will describe this form to a greater extent.

Valerian belongs to pharmaceutical preparations of plant origin and has a sedative (calming), antispasmodic and vasodilating effect. The calming and relaxing effect is achieved due to the presence of alkaloids in the plant - hotenin and valerine. It is in this combination that the substances have a slight depressant effect on the human nervous system.

Valerian also has a mild antispasmodic and mild choleretic effect.

The therapeutic effect of the drug develops slowly, depends on the dosage and is stable.

Valerian infusion is contraindicated for people suffering from alcoholism and those who are prohibited from drinking alcohol-containing liquids.

First aid for a panic attack

If the attack occurs alone, then the first and most important thing to do is to go outside, where there may be passers-by. When people are nearby, the patient’s well-being immediately improves, and hope appears in the mind that they will have time to save him, call an ambulance and give him medicine for a panic attack.

If there is no possibility of contact with people, for example, the attack happened late at night, you need to wash your face with cool water, take a sedative for panic attacks, open the window, walk around the room, trying to breathe deeply and evenly through cupped palms.

Check if the phone is turned on and pick it up. Knowing that you can call for help at any time will help you calm down faster.

And the main thing is to switch your thoughts to positive memories, turn on a funny movie and read a book, focusing on reading.

Loved ones, if they are nearby, can speed up the cessation of panic attacks. To do this, it is advisable to take the patient’s hand and tell him in a confident voice that everything will be fine. If you have sedative tablets on hand, use them as a medicine for a panic attack, drop 10 to 30 drops and give to the patient with a glass of water.

How Valerian works

Due to its inhibitory effect on the nervous system, Valerian helps to calm down, calm anxiety, and reduce anxiety. But it is precisely these conditions that often haunt people suffering from VSD and neurosis. It perfectly relaxes and helps you fall asleep quickly.

The main effects of Valerian on the body:

• Reduces the level of excitability of the nervous system.
• Regulates vegetative processes.
• Has a weak antidepressant effect.
• Reduces heart rate.
• Dilates blood vessels.
• Relaxes smooth muscles.
• Stimulates bile production.

The medicine has a cumulative effect, and with prolonged use all its effects are enhanced.

Classification of antidepressants

For the treatment of VSD and related conditions, 4 groups of antidepressants are used:

1. Tricyclic antidepressants. The active substance is amitripline and its derivatives. They have been used since the mid-20th century. These are potent and effective drugs. But there are also a number of disadvantages: a large number of side effects, as well as difficulty in selecting the dosage for treatment: it is selected individually in each case. The dosage that will have a therapeutic effect on one patient may have no effect at all or cause a complete loss of interest in life in another. One of the representatives of this group of antidepressants is Azafen.
2. Tetracyclic antidepressants have a milder effect. They act selectively, only on certain parts of the nervous system. Among the disadvantages is the lack of compatibility with most other drugs, and not only psychotropic ones. Therefore, the treatment regimen is prescribed with the utmost caution. The main representatives of this group: Pyrazidol, Lerivon, Ludiomil.
3. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are characterized by a minimal set of side effects, a stable effect and a mild effect. For the treatment of VSD, this is one of the best options. These include Prozac, Zoloft, Cipralex.
4. Selective serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors are antidepressants that have appeared in the last 10-15 years. These antidepressants are the mildest, do not cause persistent addiction, and have a minimum of side effects. But they have undergone an insufficient number of clinical trials, and the consequences that may occur several years after treatment have also been poorly studied. Therefore, they are rarely prescribed. This group includes Venlafaxine, Cymbalta, Remeron.

Indications for use

Valerian is popularly known as a sedative. However, it also has a number of other indications:

• Migraine headaches. A migraine is different from a regular headache. It occurs against the background of complex reactions in the body and often torments those who suffer from vegetative-vascular dystonia. By itself, Valerian is unlikely to be able to relieve a migraine attack, but as part of complex therapy it works very well.
• Nervous excitement of various types.
• Hysterical states.
• Vegetative-vascular dystonia.
• Neuroses.
• Cardiovascular disorders of a mild nature.
• Intestinal spasms.

Based on the list of indications, it is clear that Valerian helps with vegetative-vascular dystonia. But how effective is it for such disorders and is there any significant benefit from it?

List of drugs for the treatment of vegetative-vascular dystonia

There are several different approaches to the treatment of any pathology, including VSD:

1. Etiotropic therapy. It is aimed at eliminating the immediate cause of the disease (for example, antibiotics for pneumonia kill a pathogenic bacterium, the toxic effect of the microorganism stops, the lung tissue is restored - the patient recovers). It is difficult to accurately determine the cause of angiodystonia, since the symptoms affect different organ systems, provoking completely opposite symptoms in a short period. In this regard, the etiotropic method is not used.
2. Pathogenetic treatment. Here the emphasis is on blocking the body's response to an internal or external agent (for example, the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to reduce the temperature in a patient with pneumonia). For VSD, such therapy may include treatment aimed at:
   decreased activity of electrical processes in neurons - sedatives;
3. additional stimulation of the peripheral nervous system – for asthenic syndrome;
4. correction of dysfunctions of peripheral organs – occurs in pathologies of the spinal cord and spine.
5. Symptomatic treatment. Therapy of this nature removes only the visible manifestations of underlying processes (for example, painkillers).

For the treatment of autonomic disorders, it is advisable to use a pathogenetic and symptomatic approach. The remedy for VSD is prescribed based on the clinical manifestations of the disease in each individual patient.

Most often, according to patient reviews, the following groups of drugs are used:

• depressing the activity of the nervous system: sedatives (have a calming effect);
• tranquilizers (the effect of inhibition of consciousness is more pronounced than that of sedative tablets);
• neuroleptics (they are also called antipsychotics, since they are intended to correct severe mental disorders associated with aggression and panic);
• sleeping pills (help normalize the rhythm of sleep and wakefulness);

Adult patients

In adulthood, the symptoms of the disease usually worsen. There are fewer and fewer situations where the symptoms are so mild that you can get by with restorative drugs. And the demands of adult patients are greater: they need to continue to perform work duties with the same level of stress, but at the same time they expect the effect in the shortest possible time. The tables and lists below contain the most used medications for the treatment of angiodystonia, indicating the group, active substance and features of action.

Drugs for the treatment of VSD that inhibit brain activity

Drugs that inhibit the nervous system should be taken only after consultation with a doctor. Despite the apparent harmlessness of sleeping pills and sedatives (most representatives of these groups are sold freely in pharmacies), as well as their captivating “natural” composition, they can provoke complications in the course of vegetative-vascular dystonia.

Side effects that occur with certain drugs from the following groups:

• sedatives: slight decrease in performance;
• slight dizziness;
• dry mouth;
• nausea;
• menstrual disorder;
• weakening of the effect of contraceptives;
• decreased effectiveness of anticoagulants (blood thinning drugs);

Medicines from the following two groups are prescribed only in extreme cases (for severe VSD, frequent and prolonged panic attacks):

• tranquilizers: muscle relaxation (significant decrease in muscle tone throughout the body or in certain areas);
• suppression of the expression of normal emotions;
• dulling of receptor sensitivity (when your favorite cake does not seem so tasty, and pleasure remains in question);
• paradoxical reactions (increased anxiety and excitability of the patient as a result of taking the drug);

Drugs that improve the functioning of the nervous system

Side effects of stimulant medications that should be taken into account when taking:

• nootropics (rarely): worsening insomnia;
• provoking seizures (in patients with epilepsy);
• “steal syndrome” (irrational redistribution of blood in the body, which causes oxygen starvation of important organs);

Dietary supplements and food complexes

Cardiovascular group of drugs

Sedatives have a slight hypotensive effect, since in vegetative reactions the cause of high blood pressure is often the emotional state of the patient. Some adaptogens may have a hypertensive effect.

Additionally use:

1. Hormonal agents. Prescribed for menstrual irregularities, the onset of menopause and concomitant dysfunctions of the autonomic nervous system. Typically, courses of oral contraceptives are used:
   single-phase (with the same estrogen content);
2. biphasic (the ratio of estrogen and progesterone changes twice per cycle);
3. triphasic (three combinations of hormones are proposed).
4. Antioxidant drugs for VSD. Increases the resistance of cell membranes to destruction under adverse conditions, improving tolerance to hypoxia. Representatives:
   "Mexidol";
5. "Trimetazidine";
6. "Mildronat";
7. "Phosphocreatine"

Children and teenagers

The cause of VSD in children is often an asthenic (weakened) state of the nervous system due to the immaturity of its structures. Therefore, drug correction of disorders can only be carried out by an experienced specialist after all other preventive methods have been tried.

Drugs that mildly affect the activity of the nervous system

Children are usually prescribed drugs with a milder effect. But these same groups can also be used in adults. The main thing is an examination and a doctor’s opinion on the advisability of using a particular drug.

The ratings of homeopathic remedies have fallen recently, and reviews of their use are contradictory. It is impossible to explain the mechanism of action of these drugs in scientific language. But since VSD symptoms often occur against a background of emotional instability, the placebo effect (self-hypnosis) may be a good option.

Contraindications

Many people believe that Valerian is absolutely harmless. But this is not so; like all medicines, it has its contraindications:

• Children's age up to 1 year.
• Pregnancy (1st trimester).
• Fructose intolerance.
• Hypersensitivity to the components included in the composition.

Side effects

In rare cases, the medicine may cause an allergic reaction. In case of an overdose, the following conditions are observed: lethargy, feeling of weakness, depression, bradycardia (slow heartbeat), lethargy, drowsiness, decreased performance.

If you observe symptoms of an overdose, you must take the following measures:

• Flush the stomach (induce vomiting).
• Drink a lot of water so that the substance leaves the body faster.
• Call an ambulance (in severe cases).

Reviews

Sergey, 37 years old: “I was treated with antidepressants for VSD, the therapy lasted 3 months and was subsequently extended for the same amount. About halfway through the course I felt an improvement in my condition. There were minor side effects from the treatment, but only for the first three weeks.”

Ilona, ​​23 years old: “After two years of unsuccessful treatment for VSD, the doctor prescribed antidepressants. The drug was not chosen right away: the first two had many side effects. Further treatment with Remeron helped to cope with anxiety, and along with it, disturbances in the functioning of the digestive system went away.”

Anna, 45 years old: “I have had VSD for many years, with low blood pressure. In the last year, the condition has worsened - frequent fainting, panic attacks without the ability to calm down on my own. After a 3-month course of treatment with antidepressants, I felt better. But, as the doctor says, the treatment still needs to be continued.”

How to take Valerian for VSD

Only a doctor can prescribe an exact treatment regimen with herbal preparations. The dosages below are taken from the instructions and general recommendations.

The tincture should be drunk 3-4 times a day in a dosage of 20-30 drops.

The liquid is diluted in a small amount of water and drunk in one gulp. It is advisable to drink Valerian 30-40 minutes after meals. Due to the fact that the tincture contains alcohol, it is not recommended to use it on an empty stomach.

The greatest calming effect is obtained from a mixture of Valerian tincture and Motherwort tincture in equal proportions.

Previously there was a diagnosis...

Diagnosis is quite difficult, since vegetative-vascular dystonia can masquerade as a whole list of pathologies, which constantly requires a thorough examination. Usually it is necessary to contact a whole group of specialized specialists - a cardiologist, gastroenterologist, neurologist, infectious disease specialist, and so on.

A number of studies are needed:

• electrocardiography;
• ultrasound examination of the abdominal organs, pelvis, heart;
• plain radiography of the chest in two projections;
• rheoencephalography;
• Holter monitoring (ECG recording throughout the day);
• 24-hour blood pressure monitoring;
• computer and magnetic resonance imaging of the brain, heart and other organs;
• fibrogastroduodenoscopy;
• colonoscopy and others.

Only after several months of continuous study of the patient do the therapist and neurologist suggest autonomic dysfunction.

It is possible to cure vegetative-vascular dystonia; you just need a qualified specialist who can identify this pathology, identify putative risk factors and prescribe adequate therapy.

Based on the results of treatment of people suffering from VSD, we can safely say that sedatives, antipsychotics and antidepressants are those drugs that can improve the patient’s well-being.

Does Valerian help with VSD? Review of personal reception experience

I’ll say right away that I drank Valerian for neurosis after the crisis was over. That is, by this time I already understood and realized what was happening to me and how to solve the problem. I still had increased anxiety, I was plagued by panic attacks, although less often, I had problems sleeping, but I was already sure that I was not dying and that this condition was reversible.

By this time, I had already completed the course of nootropics prescribed by the doctor, abandoned the tranquilizer and all other medications. I decided to drink valerian myself, without a doctor’s prescription. But I don’t encourage anyone to repeat my experience.

I took the medicine morning and evening, 30 drops diluted in a small amount of water. The approximate period of use is 1 month.

Does Valerian help with panic attacks?

A certain herbal preparation helps reduce feelings of excitement and anxiety. When I took my morning dose, I felt calmer and could go to work without unnecessary anxiety.

It happened that I drank a dose and began to feel an approaching attack of PA. In most cases, this helped stop the attack or endure it in a mild form. But I repeat that I already knew about the nature of neurosis and always during an attack I tried not to turn on the mental “mental stirrer”, but distracted myself.

The dose taken before bed also produced results. Gradually my sleep improved, I fell asleep quickly and slept soundly. But along with taking Valerian, I practiced meditation and some self-hypnosis techniques. All this helped me recover quickly and without taking serious medications.

To the question whether Valerian helps with VSD, I will answer that yes, it helps. But only as an aid. And only if the disorder of the autonomic nervous system is caused exclusively by psychological factors and not by organic diseases.

I still believe that the main treatment for VSD is psychotherapy. Everything else is optional. Although I absolutely do not deny that panic attacks and vegetative crises can be a consequence of physiological pathologies in the body and certain diseases. But even in such cases, psychotherapy helps to discover the metaphysical causes of the disease, which significantly contributes to recovery.

Precautionary measures

Despite the fact that these medications have a positive effect on the central nervous system, improve mood and remove negative emotions, some precautions must be taken when taking them. They cause side effects: dizziness, nausea, drowsiness, disruption of the gastrointestinal tract, problems with urination, general weakness.

Since antidepressants are used for a long time (from 4 to 6 months), the body needs another month to recover and wean off the drugs.

An important criterion for choosing a drug is individual intolerance to the active substance. If after taking the medicine a person develops a rash, cough or tissue swelling, then it is necessary to immediately stop taking the medicine. Combining different antidepressants is contraindicated, as side effects increase. 2 weeks should pass after taking one drug, and only then can you start taking others.

Tranquilizers for VSD should be taken with caution, since despite the quick results, they have side effects.

Valerian is not suitable for everyone suffering from VSD

I think that you are unlikely to be able to feel the effect of valerian during VSD and panic attacks if your head is in complete chaos, you cannot control your thoughts at all and do not know the basics of how the psyche works. No, I don’t want to say that you are stupid and will not get out of your neurosis. Don't take my expression negatively. I want you to understand that by changing your consciousness, you will change your physiological state.

It is not necessary to hire an expensive psychotherapist. Read great books on how to heal yourself. Start getting organized in your head, because that's where the problem lies.

In my life, I have already experienced the experience of self-healing of organic diseases twice. In the first case, I used only NLP techniques and got rid of a 7-year pathology in 10 days. In the second case, the illness was serious and I took medication, combining it with somopsychotherapy and NLP. My doctor was amazed that I recovered so quickly. As a result, we successfully cured the disease.

In the latter case, Joseph Murphy’s book helped me a lot; it was from there that I took scientific prayers for healing that work 100%. Of course, provided that you believe in such techniques. Because it is faith that is the driving force on the path to any goals and desires.

Even if you believe without a shadow of a doubt that Valerian will cure you of VSD, it will be so.

Types and manifestations of dystonia

VSD manifests itself in different ways. The most common symptoms are weakness, frequent dizziness and headaches, apathy, and emotional instability.

There are several forms of the disease, depending on the manifestation of the disease and accompanying symptoms:

1. The cardiovascular type is characterized by irregular heart rhythm, pain in the heart, which is not associated with serious pathology or heart disease. Typically, “heart” symptoms appear under emotional stress, stress, and anxiety.
2. Violation of thermoregulation, when at the slightest stress a person sweats a lot, feels hot or cold, or these states alternate. Body temperature may also rise to subfebrile levels in the absence of an inflammatory process.
3. The hyperventilation form of VSD is associated with breathing problems, a feeling of lack of air, dizziness and headaches, which are caused by a decrease or increase in the volume of air pumped through the lungs.
4. Gastrointestinal form associated with indigestion, stool upset, nausea. Such patients often develop irritable bowel syndrome - a complex of digestive disorders that is not based on organic pathology, inflammatory or other gastrointestinal diseases. Symptoms of dyspepsia intensify against the background of stress and emotional experiences.

In adult patients, additional symptoms of VSD may include genitourinary disorders, which manifest themselves in impaired urination, decreased libido, and sexual dysfunction.

And the miracle has contraindications

One of the most serious contraindications is individual intolerance to the active substance. In this case, after taking the medication, an allergic reaction appears in the form of a rash, redness of the mucous membranes, cough, and tissue swelling. The development of anaphylactic shock cannot be ruled out.

You can’t combine antidepressants with each other, as they enhance each other’s effects and increase the risk of side effects.

Tricyclic antidepressants are prohibited for use in the acute and subacute phase of myocardial infarction, in the presence of heart defects, hypertension of the second and third stages, since complications are possible in the form of cardiac arrhythmias and repeated ischemia of cardiac tissue.

Also, they should not be taken by people with gastric and duodenal ulcers, intestinal obstruction, bladder atony and angle-closure glaucoma.

Monocyclic and tetracyclic drugs cannot be prescribed to people with organ failure, namely renal, hepatic, since it is through these organs that the main metabolic transformations and excretion of the active substance occur. With their dysfunction, severe intoxication develops. It is forbidden to take these medications during the period of active inflammatory process.

This group of drugs is contraindicated for pregnant and nursing mothers; the active substances easily pass the placental barrier, accumulate in breast milk and negatively affect the formation of the nervous system and the child’s psyche.

The most likely side effects are dyspeptic disorders, sleep disturbances, decreased appetite, increased anxiety and hyperactivity of the child.

Antidepressants for panic attacks are selected only by a psychotherapist who treats the patient from beginning to end, if necessary, adjusting the dosage or changing the drug altogether.

It is strictly forbidden to engage in blasphemy by buying antidepressants from hand. VSDs, despite their fears and hypochondria, have an excellent habit of exchanging medications. And it happens that, having stopped taking the drug that caused the side effect, the patient “sells” it at a cheap price to his friend or a completely unfamiliar interlocutor on the forum. Such a risk rarely goes unnoticed for health.

Antidepressants are strictly prohibited for those VSD patients who have organic diseases and conditions not related to dystonia:

• Liver failure;
• Poor circulation;
• Problems with blood clotting;
• Problems with the thyroid gland;
• Heart diseases;
• Glaucoma;
• Stomach ulcer;
• High-grade hypertension;
• Hypotension with fainting;
• Convulsions and seizures;

Antidepressants are also not prescribed to adolescents under 12 years of age or to people who are suicidal.

It often happens that the body, contrary to all expectations, suddenly begins to behave unpredictably. The patient may suddenly fall into a suicidal mood, experience auditory hallucinations, or turn into a couch potato with a pulse of 180 at complete rest. Then the doctor changes the drug. But usually the whole side effect is just a “rebellion of the central nervous system”, which is trying to return to the past, a tense state and does not understand how to react to these innovations. As a rule, after 2 weeks the side effects disappear.

And, if the patient is patient, then for his patience he receives a wonderful bonus in the form of a full, positive life without panic attacks. For how long? Time will show.

Mechanism of action

Antidepressants affect the functioning of the brain, or more precisely the neurotransmitters of the central nervous system: serotonin, norepinephrine, dopamine, GABA and others.

Antidepressants change the concentration or prolong the action of neurotransmitters. Under their influence, a change in metabolic processes in the brain occurs with the elimination of symptoms of VSD.

They are used to combat such manifestations of vegetative-vascular dystonia as apathy, anxiety, worsening mood, depression, and suicidal thoughts.

It is advisable to prescribe antidepressants in short courses, in small doses only at the beginning of therapy, and then switch to other medications. It is known that long-term use of such drugs changes the balance of benefit and harm towards the appearance of undesirable symptoms.

Interfering with the physiological processes of the body is unsafe. However, the improvement in the condition of those suffering from various forms of vegetative-vascular dystonia as a result of taking these medications confirms their effectiveness.

Antidepressants are part of the main group of medications for the treatment of emotional disorders in patients with autonomic dysfunction.