Vivactil Alternatives (Cont.)

Other Depression Medications as Vivactil Alternatives

Many medications are available to treat depression. These medications include:
 
Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors
SSRIs are usually effective in treating depression and usually do not have many serious side effects. They work by increasing the level of serotonin available for the cells of the brain. These antidepressant medications include:
 
Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors
These antidepressants are similar to SSRIs, except that they also affect norepinephrine (another chemical in the brain). SNRIs used to treat depression include:
 
Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors
Monoamine oxidase inhibitors are a class of older medications used for treating depression. There are many serious food and drug interactions with MAOIs. Because of this, MAOIs are usually used only if other medications for depression have not been effective. Examples of MAOIs include:
 
Tricyclic Antidepressants
Tricyclic antidepressants are another older class of antidepressants, which includes Vivactil. Due to certain side effects, they are generally not recommended for elderly people. In addition to Vivactil, other tricyclic antidepressants include:
 
Miscellaneous Antidepressants
Several other antidepressants are 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.
 
(Vivactil Alternatives Continued: Page 3)
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Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;