According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, depression is one of the most treatable psychological disorders, with 80 to 90 percent of those treated showing some relief from their symptoms. Pharmacological treatment is one alternative to treating the symptoms of depression, and there are a number of prescription medications available, and some are used more commonly than others.
Antidepressants
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are typically the first choice among doctors when it comes to prescription drug treatments for depression. They work by preventing reuptake of the neurotransmitter serotonin in the brain, and the presence of more serotonin can improve mood, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. Although they do have some side effects, including headache, nausea, sexual dysfunction, fatigue, weight gain and dry mouth, these are generally relatively less severe compared to alternative drug treatments on the market. SSRIs commonly prescribed to treat depression include sertraline, fluoxetine, citalopram, paroxetine and escitalopram.
Serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) such as duloxetine and venlafaxine operate on the neurotransmitters serotonin and norepinephrine and are also commonly prescribed to treat depression.
Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) and heterocyclics are two older types of antidepressants that, like SNRIs, inhibit reuptake of serotonin and norephinephrine in the brain. They may have nonspecific effects on other neurotransmitters in the brain as well, resulting in a greater number of potentially more serious side effects such as tremors, delirium, urinary retention, and low blood pressure. Depressed persons being treated for heart conditions or seizures are not prescribed these medications because they interact with certain heart medications and anticonvulsants.
TCAs commonly prescribed to treat depression include imipramine, amitriptyline, desipramine, protriptyline, doxepin and trimipramine.
Heterocyclics commonly administered are trazodone hydrochloride, amoxapine and maprotiline hydrochloride.
Antipsychotics
Though originally approved to treat symptoms of psychosis found in schizophrenia and other severe mental disorders, atypical antipsychotics may also be prescribed in severe cases of depression that do not respond to other lines of pharmacological treatment.
For example, a study reported in a January 2005 issue of the "Journal of Clinical Psychiatry" shows that atypical antipsychotics such as olanzapine, quetiapine, risperidone and ziprasidone may be effective in improving symptoms of treatment-resistant and bipolar depression, particularly when combined with other medications or behavioral therapy.
Bupropion
A drug commonly prescribed to treat depression that does not belong to any other class of depression drugs is called bupropion. Unlike other antidepressants, it works by balancing the levels of the neurotransmitters dopamine and norepinephrine in the brain.
