Antidepressant Reference Guide
This page provides a brief overview of common antidepressant classes used in clinical practice. Always consult a licensed provider for personalized treatment.
Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs)
- Fluoxetine (Prozac)
- Sertraline (Zoloft)
- Escitalopram (Lexapro)
- Paroxetine (Paxil)
- Citalopram (Celexa)
Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRIs)
- Venlafaxine (Effexor XR)
- Duloxetine (Cymbalta)
- Desvenlafaxine (Pristiq)
Atypical Antidepressants
- Bupropion (Wellbutrin)
- Mirtazapine (Remeron)
- Trazodone (Desyrel)
Tricyclic Antidepressants (TCAs)
- Amitriptyline
- Nortriptyline
- Imipramine
Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors (MAOIs)
- Phenelzine
- Tranylcypromine
- Isocarboxazid
If you would like to read a good review on antidepressants, I recommend "Post-Prozac Nation: The Science and History of Treating Depression" by Siddhartha Mukherjee, M.D., which appeared in the New York Times Magazine online on April 19, 2012.
Richard J. Metzner, M.D.
Clinical Professor
Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA
Founder, DepressionConsultant.info
I have just one issue with it, which I expressed in the following posted comment.
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The inability of antidepressants to prove more effective than placebos in many clinical trials has been discussed widely during the past few years, but CBS's "60 Minutes" gave the topic new life with an "explosive" segment on February 19, 2012. What they failed to acknowledge to the detriment of millions of depressed people was that experienced clinicians get much better results in practice.
Richard J. Metzner, M.D.
Clinical Professor
Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA
Founder, DepressionConsultant.info
In a multi-site study we have been undertaking, we have seen clinicians using the algorithm of the Clinaptica Depression Consultant app obtain remission rates as high as 59% or better -- about twice what placebos usually get. (Can Clinicians Improve Antidepressant Remission Rates with Better Algorithms? Metzner RJ and Ho AL, 2009)
Read more: What "60 Minutes" Didn’t Say About Antidepressants