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Most Popular Medicines to Treat Depression

Those are lucky who have never experienced depression, which is the state characterized by irritability, absence of concentration, permanent sadness and fatigue, separation from social life and loss of interest, problems sleeping and even suicidal thoughts or attempts. Since 1950s effective treatment of depression has become possible thanks to the discovery of the first antidepressants, which lead to revolutionary change in psychiatric care of depressive patients.

However, as depression may be caused by different factors, it′s impossible to create one ideal drug to cure all the patients. That′s why various researches and studies are constantly held to improve the existing antidepressants and create the new ones with better qualities and fewer side effects.

Wide Range of Antidepressants

Nowadays, drug manufacturers can offer a lot of antidepressant medications at various prices. It′s important that consumers are aware of the fact that antidepressants differ not only in trade names, charge and supportive ingredients, but also have different active components and mechanisms of action which make them exclusive for a certain group of depressive patients, depending on their sensibility to the components of the drug. Here is the list of antidepressants depending on how they work:

  • Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are the most popular nowadays due to high effectiveness together with a low rate of side effects. They block secondary processing of serotonin in brain, thus, increasing its amount and affecting depression symptoms. They are often prescribed to treat neurotic depression, accompanied by phobias, aggression, panic and include Citalopram, Escitalopram, Fluoxetine, Fluvoxamine, Paroxetine and Sertraline.
  • Serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors the mechanism of action is the same as for the previous group, but apart from serotonin, the amount of noradrenaline increases. They are advised for depression with obsession or phobias and include Duloxetine, Venlafaxine and Desvenlafaxine.
  • Noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors this group of antidepressants has noradrenaline as the target neurotransmitter. The only active ingredient is reboxetine. This group is used for treatment of depression, anxiety and panic disorder and includes Reboxetine.
  • Tricyclic antidepressants and Tetracyclic antidepressants serotonin and noradreniline are increased in the brain with this type of drugs. The thing is that they may cause more side effects, that′s why the medicines of this group are usually prescribed when others don′t work properly. These include Amitriptyline, Nortriptyline, Clomipramine, Dothiepin, Doxepin, Imipramine, Trimipramine and Mianserin.
  • Reversible inhibitors of monoamine oxidase A moclobemide, the active ingredient of this class, influences the amount of serotonin, noradrenaline and dopamine. They inhibit the enzyme monoamide oxidase A. The action is the same as of monoamine oxidase inhibitors, but this class is less dangerous as blockage of tyramine in liver doesn′t take place. They include e.g. Moclobemide.
  • Noradrenergic and specific serotonergic antidepressants antagonize some adrenergic and serotonin receptors, thus, enhancing neurotransmission. They are used for depressions in combination with insomnia and include Mirtazapine.
  • Monoamine oxidase inhibitors - adrenaline, noradrenaline, dopamine and serotonin are inhibited to treat depression symptoms. This group is dangerous and rarely prescribed. These antidepressants are mainly used for serious depression accompanied by panic attacks, agoraphobia or when depression is a consequence of some physical inner disease. They include Phenelzine, Tranylcypromine.
  • Melatonergic antidepressants are used for major depressive disorders and insomnia. They are claimed to have fewer side effects, which other antidepressants usually possess. Their action is based on antagonizing some melatonergic and serotonin receptors, and they include Agomelatine.

Also, some natural remedies with organic components may be considered as soft antidepressants, but they aren′t the same effective and can′t be referred to as real drugs. They do have some sedative effect.

Top 5 Popular, Effective and Safe Antidepressants

As researchers are always interested in neurotic processes, anti-depression medications are often paid attention to.

Although doctors usually have their own preferences concerning drugs, some tendencies exist anyway. Mental Health Daily has reported the following antidepressants to be most often prescribed:

The Lancet has also published the rate of depressants, grounding the list on 117 researchers analyzed. It consists of two parts: according to efficacy and acceptability (number of side effects experienced). The most effective are:

The most acceptable are:

These rates tell us about high quality and 100% effectiveness of these drugs. Surely, there are generic versions which may be bought instead of brand antidepressants mentioned and at a lower price. However, it′s better to visit your doctor before choosing a medicine, brand or not, as antidepressants have the risk of addiction and side effects, so strict individual prescription must be strictly followed.