About Types Of Antidepressants: Types Of Antidepressants

Learn about the types of antidepressants and how they affect different patients. Depression not only affects the person who is going through it, but also everyone around them, including friends, family, loved ones, spouses, and children.

Types of antidepressants

The most popular remedy for depression and related disorders are ‘antidepressants’. They work well in relieving many symptoms associated with depression and often prove very effective in restoring your mental status back to normal.

Because of their popularity' many new types of anti-depressant medications are being discovered today. They are mostly classified according to their mode of action' or levels of effectiveness. Based on the severity of side effects' antidepressants can also be classified. Older classes of antidepressants usually had more severe side effects and are not so popularly prescribed today.

Let’s take a look at some main types of anti-depressants and their functionality.

Older Classes

These are the earliest forms of antidepressant drugs' which due to their severe side effects' are not so popular today and are used by doctors as a last resort' when other newer drugs fail to relieve symptoms. They include:

TCAs (Tricyclic Antidepressants)

These drugs work by increasing the uptake of the neurotransmitters' Serotonin and Nor-epinephrine.

They have been in existence for a very long time (introduced in the 1950’s) and have many side effects such as dry mouth' digestive disturbances' weariness' blurred vision' blood pressure changes and alterations in the heart rate.

MAOIs (Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors)

These medications include enzymes that break down monoamines. Monoamines include the primary mood affecting neurotransmitters' i.e. Serotonin and Nor-epinephrine.

e.g. Nardil' Manerix (a newer generation drug)

More Recent Classes

SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors)

These are very popularly used today' their side effects are far lesser than the older classes described above. They work only on serotonin' thus their chances of interacting with other chemicals in the body are less. Familiar brand names include Lexapro' Zoloft' Prozac' Paxil and Celexa. Common side effects are dry mouth' insomnia and headache.

But it has been found that these antidepressant drugs may be the reasons for certain health issues in older adults' such as increased risks of fractures' falls and bone loss.

Newer Classes

Most research in the arena of psychological disorders has concentrated on discovering drugs with fewer side effects and more effective functionality. Some most popularly used drugs that fall into this class include:

Bupropion hydrochloride: These may be affecting certain hormonal pathways' i.e. noradrenergic or dopaminergic pathways. e.g. Wellbutrin/Zyban

Mirtazapine: These Noradrenergic and specific serotonergic antidepressants (NASSAs) work by blocking presynaptic alpha-2 Adrenergic receptors' as well as certain Serotonin receptors. e.g. Avanza

Nefazodone: These increase the availability of Serotonin and blocks Postsynaptic 5-HT2 receptors. e.g. Serzone

Venlafaxine: These inhibit the uptake of Serotonin and Nor-epinephrine. e.g. Efexor

Summary: Many drugs have been developed to treat depression and related psychological disorders and much research is being carried out to improve their functionality and decrease the many side effects associated with them.