Vivactil Alternatives

If your depression symptoms cannot be adequately controlled with Vivactil, alternatives to the medication may include various therapies or other antidepressants. Therapies used to treat depression include psychotherapy, electroconvulsive therapy, and natural therapies. Medication alternatives to Vivactil include selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, monoamine oxidase inhibitors, serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, and other tricyclic antidepressants.

Vivactil Drug Information

Vivactil Alternatives: An Overview

Vivactil^® (protriptyline hydrochloride) is a prescription medicine used for the treatment of depression (also known as major depression or clinical depression). It is part of a group of antidepressant medications called tricyclic antidepressants.

The drug is generally effective in treating symptoms of depression, and most people tolerate it well. However, as with all medicines, side effects can occur or the medicine may not adequately control symptoms. Fortunately, several alternatives to Vivactil are available, including:

Therapy
Other depression medications (also known as antidepressants)
Electroconvulsive therapy
Alternative (natural) therapies.

Therapy as a Vivactil Alternative

Many forms of psychotherapy, including some short-term therapies (10 to 20 weeks), can help people with depression.

"Talk" therapies help patients gain insight into (and resolve) their problems through a verbal exchange with the therapist, and are sometimes combined with "homework" assignments between sessions.

Behavioral therapists help patients learn how to obtain more satisfaction through their own actions and to unlearn the behavioral patterns that contribute to or result from their depression.

(Click Psychotherapy for Depression to learn more about this depression treatment option.)

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