What Drugs Are Used to Treat Depression?

What Drugs Are Used to Treat Depression?, Buy Treatment for Depression

When treating depression, several drugs are available. Some of the most commonly used include:

• Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), such as citalopram (Celexa), escitalopram oxalate (Lexapro), fluoxetine (Prozac), fluvoxamine (Luvox), paroxetine HRI (Paxil), and sertraline (Zoloft).
• Selective serotonin & norepinephrine inhibitors (SNRIs), such as desvenlafaxine (Khedezla), desvenlafaxine succinate (Pristiq), duloxetine (Cymbalta), levomilnacipran (Fetzima), and venlafaxine (Effexor).
• Vortioxetine (Trintellix formerly Brintellix) and vilazodone (Viibryd) are newer medicines that both acts as SSRIs and also affect other serotonin receptors.
• Tetracyclic antidepressants that are noradrenergic and specific serotonergic antidepressants (NaSSAs), such as Remeron.
• Older tricyclic antidepressants, such as Elavil, imipramine (Tofranil), nortriptyline (Pamelor), and Sinequan.
• Drugs with unique mechanisms such as bupropion (Wellbutrin).
• Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), such as isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil), selegiline (EMSAM), and tranylcypromine (Parnate).
• N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) Receptor Antagonist, such as esketamine (Spravato)
• While not technically considered a medication by the FDA, l-methylfolate (Deplin) has proven successful in treating depression. It is categorized as a medical food or nutraceutical, requires a prescription and is the active form of a B-vitamin called folate. L-methylfolate helps regulate the neurotransmitters that control moods.

In some cases, a combination of antidepressants may be necessary. Sometimes an antidepressant combined with a second antidepressant from a different class, or a different type of medication altogether, such as a mood stabilizer (like lithium) or atypical antipsychotic (like aripiprazole [Abilify], brexpiprazole [Rexulti] or quetiapine [Seroquel]) can boost the effect of an antidepressant alone.

Side effects vary, depending on what type of medication you are taking, and may improve once your body adjusts to the medication.