| While it may be easy to recite the various | | | | |
| brand names and generalize their benefits | | | | Nardil (phenelzine), Parnate |
| enough to know they put us (or are supposed | | | | (tranylcypromine) |
| to put us) in a better mood, for lack of a | | | | |
| better term, the drugs themselves can all be | | | | Tricyclic Antidepressants (TCAs) |
| categorized individually, each working in a | | | | |
| slightly different way. | | | | Tricyclics have been available longer than |
| | | | any other depression and anxiety medications. |
| The following is a list and very brief | | | | In 1958, the first tricyclic, imipramine |
| description, by category, of depression and | | | | (Tofranil), was released to help combat major |
| anxiety medications currently prescribed by | | | | depression, and physicians saw a 70% positive |
| physicians. | | | | response within their patients. Previously |
| | | | the only treatments for severely depressed |
| Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors | | | | patients were amphetamines and electroshock |
| (SSRIs) | | | | therapy. TCAs increase the brain's supply of |
| | | | serotonin and norepinephrine, two of the |
| SSRIs, which are fairly new to the arsenal of | | | | brain's three neurotransmitters, but it also |
| depression and anxiety medications, have | | | | affects some of the brain's other nerve |
| gained immense popularity among prescribing | | | | impulses as well, and this allows for more |
| psychiatrists within the past 10 years. They | | | | side effects. |
| are usually prescribed during the early | | | | |
| stages of depression, if a person has sought | | | | Severely depressed and/or hospitalized |
| help and behavioral and/or psychotherapy has | | | | patients see the most benefit from taking |
| not proven effective enough. With appropriate | | | | TCAs because of its sedative effect. In the |
| dosage, SSRIs can "catch" depression before | | | | past, patients were usually prescribed |
| it becomes severe. Although they do not work | | | | tricyclics before anything else, but with the |
| for 20% to 40% of people who try them, their | | | | movement of psychiatrists (and patients!) |
| ability to work for people with minor (and | | | | toward heading off depression before it |
| even major) depressive illnesses makes them | | | | becomes severe and/or chronic, TCAs are now |
| attractive enough to prescribing | | | | usually only prescribed if the other types of |
| psychiatrists to try them first before moving | | | | depression and anxiety medications don't |
| on to more serious depression and anxiety | | | | work. |
| medications and methods, if need be. SSRIs | | | | |
| work on serotonin, one of the brain's three | | | | TCAs Brand name (chemical name) |
| neurotransmitters. | | | | |
| | | | Adapin (doxepin), Anafranil (clomipramine) , |
| SSRIs Brand name (chemical name) | | | | Elavil (amitriptyline), Endep |
| | | | (amitriptyline), Ludiomil (maprotiline), |
| Celexa (citalopram), Lexapro (escitalopram | | | | Norpramin (desipramine) , Pamelor |
| oxalate), Luvox (fluvoxamine), Paxil | | | | (nortryptyline), Pertofrane (desipramine), |
| (paroxetine), Prozac (fluoxetine), Zoloft | | | | Sinequan (doxepin), Surmontil (trimipramine), |
| (sertraline) | | | | Tofranil (imipramine), Vivactil |
| | | | (protriptyline) |
| Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors (MOAIs) | | | | |
| | | | Non-specified or "Other" depression and |
| MAOIs are the type of depression and anxiety | | | | anxiety medications |
| medications that work for people who are | | | | |
| mildly depressed, develop mild depression | | | | Because their chemical make-ups do not fit |
| over a long period of time, are overly | | | | into any of the other categories, the |
| sensitive to their environment, or who are | | | | following list of depression and anxiety |
| easily able to emerge from periods of | | | | medications can only be termed as "other." |
| depression. People who demonstrate an excess | | | | Wellbutrin, Desyrel, Remeron, and Effexor are |
| of a particular activity (ie, overeating, | | | | prescribed most. Each of the four drugs |
| oversleeping, emotional overreaction) as | | | | affects at least one of the brain's three |
| compensation with stress can benefit from | | | | neurotransmitters (norepinephrine, serotonin, |
| MAOIs, which work on the three | | | | dopamine), and as a result, each has its own |
| neurotransmitters (called monoamines) found | | | | particular set of side effects. As a result, |
| in the brain: norepinephrine, serotonin, and | | | | psychiatrists are much more likely to |
| dopamine. These are usually only prescribed | | | | prescribe one of the other types of |
| when a person hasn't responded to any of the | | | | depression and anxiety medications (SSRIs, |
| other types of depression and anxiety | | | | MAOIs, TCAs) before switching to one of |
| medications. | | | | these. In some instances, a patient's regimen |
| | | | is augmented by combining an SSRI or TCA with |
| A strict diet must be followed if taking an | | | | an"other" depression and anxiety medications, |
| MAOI, because in conjunction with certain | | | | but because of an MAOI's particular chemical |
| foods, the body can react with elevated blood | | | | make-up and dietary requirements, it is |
| pressure, headaches, fluctuating blood sugar | | | | prescribed alone. |
| (for people with diabetes), and in more | | | | |
| severe cases, brain hemorrhage. Because of | | | | Brand names (chemical names) of Non-specified |
| these risks, MAOIs were taken off the | | | | depression and anxiety medications |
| American market for a while, but were | | | | |
| reintroduced for patients who haven't had | | | | Buspar (buspirone), Cymbalta (duloxetine), |
| luck with any other depression and anxiety | | | | Desyrel (trazodone) , Effexor (venlafaxine), |
| medications. | | | | Edronax, Vestra (reboxetine), Remeron |
| | | | (mirtazapine), Serzone (nefazodone), |
| MAOIs Brand name (chemical name) | | | | Wellbutrin (bupropion). |