Depression is a serous illness that affects millions of people world wide, luckly their are medications avaible to help theses people in an effert to rid themselves of this awful illness. Tricyclic Antidepressants (TCAs) can be marvalous medication with outstanding results however they deadly side effects results when taken in amounts beyond therapeutic doses. This paper will discuse how TCA's work, signs and symptoms and mangement of overdose patients.
             Depression is one of the most common psychiatric disorders. At any given moment, about 5-6% of the population is depressed and an estimated 10% of people may become depressed during their lives. The symptoms of depression are suttle and are often unrecognized by both patients and physicians. Patients with vague complaints that resist explanation as manifestations of somatic disorders and those who might be called neurotics or crocks should be suspected of being depressed.
             Depression is a heterogeneous disorder that has been characterized and classified in a variety of ways. Major depression and dysthymia are pure depressive syndromes, while bipolar disorder and cyclothymic disorder signify depression in association with mania. A simplified classification of depression based on presumed orgin is as follows.
             · reactive or secondary depression, which is the most common class of depression affecting over 60% of patients who suffer from depression. Reactive or secondary depression occurs in response to real stimuli such as gride, illness, death of a loved one, etc..
             · endogenous depression, a genetically determined bichemical disorder manifested by inability to cope with ordinary stress, affecting about 25% of patient suffering from depression.
             · depression associated with bipolar affective manic-depressive disorder, affecting about 10-15% of patients suffering from depression.
             TCAs result in multi-system ogran involvement through direct myocardi...