ANTIDEPRESSANT MEDICATIONS - SOME FURTHER INFORMATION?

There are several different groups of antidepressants, which differ in chemical structure and the way they act on chemicals in the brain. A person may respond to one and not to another, so several may have to be tried before improvement occurs. In cases of severe depression, they may need to taken for some weeks or months to prevent the person becoming ill again.

Antidepressants may take two weeks or so to work, so it is important to keep taking them, and not to assume too quickly that they are ineffective.

In the list below, the brand names of some of the antidepressants in each group are given, with the generic names in brackets.

• Tricyclics
  The longest established group. Some have more sedative effects, which are calming and can make you sleepy. They can be useful if you have anxiety and/or agitation as well as depression. Side effects - including being sleepy during the day often wear off after two weeks or so.
  
  Examples: Tryptizol (amitryptiline), Prothiaden (dothiepin), Gamanil (lofepramine)
• Tetracyclics
  These differ, both in their chemical structure and the way they act, from the tricyclics. Some side effects which may be troublesome with the tricyclics may be reduced.
  
  Examples: Ludiomil (maprotiline), Bolvidon and Norval (mianserin).
• SSRIs (Specific Seratonin Re-uptake Inhibitors)
  Also known as 5 HT Re-uptake Inhibitors, this new generation of antidepressants is less sedative than the tricyclics and has fewer side effects.
  
  Examples: Lustral (sertraline), Seroxat (paroxetine), Prozac (fluoxetine).
• MAOIs (Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors)
  This group is not usually the first choice for doctors, but may be tried if other types of antidepressant have not worked. Some foods have to be avoided by the people taking MAOIs, including cheese and beef extract/Bovril, as these can interact with the medication.
  
  Examples: Nardil (phenelzine), Marplan (iscarboxazid), Manerix moclobemide
• Others
  Several medications do not fall into any of the above categories and include Vivalan (oxazine), Molipaxin (trazadone) and Fluanxol (flupenthixol)