Antidepressants 'can treat severe depression in menopausal women'

Washington, Aug 17 (ANI): Antidepressants can alleviate severe depression syndromes in women experiencing or about to experience menopause, according to a new study.

Virginia Commonwealth University researcher Susan G. Kornstein and her colleagues conducted the study.

Some women report mood swings, irritability, anxiety and depression in the years leading up to menopause, called the perimenopause and it is thought that the drop in estrogen levels may affect mood.

The transition to menopause has been shown to be a high-risk period for major depression, in women both with and without a past history of depression.

Pristiq is an antidepressant that works by increasing the amounts of serotonin and norepinephrine, natural substances in the brain that help maintain mental balance.

The study found that women who took Pristiq showed significant improvement and was effective among the subgroups of perimenopausal women as well as those who were postmenopausal.

The study was published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. (ANI)