Other Depression Medications
Fortunately, there are many medications available to treat
depression. These medications include:
Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs)
SSRIs are usually very effective at treating depression and usually do not have many serious side effects. They work by increasing the level of serotonin available for the cells in the brain. These antidepressant medications include:
Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRIs)
These antidepressants are very similar to SSRIs, except that they also affect norepinephrine (another chemical in the brain). SNRIs used to treat depression include:
Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors (MAOIs)
In addition to
Marplan, other MAOIs used to treat depression include:
Tricyclic Antidepressants
Tricyclic antidepressants are another older class of antidepressants. Due to certain side effects, they are generally not recommended for elderly people. These
types of depression medicine include:
Miscellaneous Antidepressants
There are several other antidepressants available, including:
Sometimes, stimulant medications such as
methylphenidate (
Ritalin®) are used to treat depression when other medications have not helped, although stimulants are not approved for this use.