Antidepressants
Antidepressants are used mainly for depression, though several also treat anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder or nerve pain. They span a handful of pharmacological classes, and NICE treats starting or stopping one as a discussion to have with a prescriber rather than a fixed instruction.
Fluoxetine Capsules
10mg · 20mg
Designed to support serotonin balance to manage clinical depression and alleviate obsessive-compulsive distress.
Effexor Xr
37.5mg · 75mg · 150mg
Formulated to alleviate severe depressive symptoms and chronic anxiety to support psychological well-being.
Trintellix
10mg
Indicated to address chemical mood imbalances to relieve depressive symptoms and support emotional regulation.
Prothiaden
50mg · 75mg
Formulated to alleviate clinical depressive states to support mental stability and target synaptic neurotransmitter pools.
Key points
- NHS’s Antidepressants page groups them into SSRIs, SNRIs, tricyclic medicines and several less common classes.
- NICE’s Recommendations | Depression in adults: treatment and management calls for discussing expected benefits, possible adverse effects and withdrawal effects whenever an antidepressant is offered.
- NICE advises a staged reduction in dose when stopping an antidepressant rather than an abrupt stop.
SSRIs and SNRIs
Zoloft contains sertraline, Lexapro contains escitalopram, Paxil contains paroxetine, Celexa contains citalopram and Fluoxetine Capsules contain fluoxetine, all SSRIs used for major depressive disorder, with several also covering panic disorder or generalised anxiety disorder. Cymbalta contains duloxetine, Effexor Xr and Venlor both contain venlafaxine, and Pristiq contains desvenlafaxine; these SNRIs also cover conditions such as diabetic nerve pain and fibromyalgia in Cymbalta’s case.
Tricyclic and other antidepressant classes
Endep contains amitriptyline, Pamelor contains nortriptyline and Anafranil contains clomipramine, tricyclic medicines that also treat neuropathic pain or, for Anafranil, obsessive-compulsive disorder. Asendin, Prothiaden and Sinequan complete the tricyclic group, containing amoxapine, dosulepin and doxepin respectively, with Sinequan also used for generalised anxiety disorder and insomnia. Remeron contains mirtazapine, Desyrel contains trazodone, Trintellix contains vortioxetine, Viibryd contains vilazodone, Tynept contains tianeptine and Emsam contains selegiline, each a different antidepressant class outside the SSRI, SNRI and tricyclic groups.
Abilify and Seroquel as an add-on to antidepressant treatment
Abilify contains aripiprazole and Seroquel contains quetiapine. Both are used mainly for schizophrenia and bipolar I disorder, with major depressive disorder as an additional, adjunct use alongside those.
Lyrica also appears in this group. It contains pregabalin and is used for neuropathic pain, fibromyalgia and seizures rather than for depression. Zyban contains bupropion, an ingredient used elsewhere as an antidepressant, but this particular brand is used for smoking cessation.
Further reading
Related articles
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Antidepressants: The Boxed Warning, the First Few Weeks, and Stopping Safely
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