Below you'll find information regarding they types of depression drugs available, what they are used for and their specific side effects. There are many drugs for depression and below, I will also provide you with examples of each. If you are more detailed or technical/scientific oriented, you can go to the Depression Facts page and learn about chemical imbalances in the brain and how and why depression medicine works.

MAOI's
Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors

MAOI's such as Nardil, Parnate, Maplan, and Manerix are used for depression with low energy, anxiety, overeating and poor sleep but without a low, highly depressed mood.

Common Side effects of these depression medications include insomnia, nausea, dry mouth, dizziness, headaches and high blood pressure. MAOI's can also have sexual side effects such as loss of libido, loss of sexual sensation, erectile dysfuncion, painful ejaculation or inability to reach an orgasm.

This drug can also lead to hypertensive crisis and cause intracerebral hemmorrhage and death after having foods or drinks that contain tyramine. Hyupertensive crisis can result in a stroke or cardiac arrhythmia if it goes untreated.

MAOI's are not good for children under the age of 16 or for adults over 60.

SSRI's
Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors

SSRI'such as Abilify, Paxil, Prozac, Zoloft, Celexa, Luvox and Lexapro are used to treat clinical depression, PMS, anxiety and panic disorders, PMS and eating disorders. There is also evidence that they help to improve premature ejaculation.

Side effects include high blood pressure, headaches, restlessness, insomnia, weight and appetite fluctuations, diminished libido, erectile dysfunction, and inability to reach orgasm. Also, until the patient gets used to the drug they may experience an increase of feelings of depression or anxiety.

SNRI's
Serotonin Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors

SNRI's are relatively new to the market. Examples include Cymbalta, Effexor, Serzone, Dalcipran and Norpramine. They are used to treat clinical depression as well as obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), panic, eating and anxiety disorders.

Side effects are similar to others and include high blood pressure, restlessness, insomnia, headaches, hypertension, sweating, low libido, erectile dysfunction, inability to orgasm, dizziness, dry mouth, drowsiness and nervousness.

TCA's
Tricyclic Antidepressants

Back in the day, as we used to say, TCA's used to be the treatment of choice but are not any longer because they have serious side effects and there are better options out there. TCA examples are Adapin, Elavil, Sinequan and Ludiomil.

While not near as popular, they are still used sometimes to treat depression as well as insomnia, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Another strange fact about this one is that it is also used to treat bedwetting in kids over the age of 7.

As I mentioned, side effects are worse than the others and they include rapid pulse, weight gain, manic moods, muscle twitches, nausea, memory loss, seizures, and arrhythmia. Because of these serious side effects they are typically not given to children (except as a last resort) or older adults.

Summary of Depression Medications

As you can see there are many depression medications to choose from. This is great news for anyone suffering from depresssion. It should give you hope that depression is absolutely treatable and that there is a way out of the darkness that you feel!

Don't give up, don't suffer. Instead see a professional and get the help that you need, the help that you deserve. You can usually see your family physician for the depression medicines and then you should seek support with a therapist, counselor or coach. If you are interested in the support you can contact me for an initial consultation.

Related Articles