The SSRIs citalopram, escitalopram, sertraline and fluoxetine are generally first-line choices, although mirtazapine may also be considered as a first-line option.
What are the most common antidepressant medications? Sertraline, also known by the brand name Zoloft, used for multiple mental health and mood disorders, is the most prescribed antidepressant dispensed to U.S.
The five well-known, FDA-approved SSRIs to treat depression are: Citalopram (Celexa) Escitalopram (Lexapro) Fluoxetine (Prozac)
Doctors often start by prescribing an SSRI. These drugs are considered safer and generally cause fewer bothersome side effects than other types of antidepressants. SSRIs include citalopram (Celexa), escitalopram (Lexapro), fluoxetine (Prozac), paroxetine (Paxil, Pexeva), sertraline (Zoloft) and vilazodone (Viibryd).
SSRIs are the most widely prescribed type of antidepressants. They're usually preferred over other antidepressants, as they cause fewer side effects. An overdose is also less likely to be serious. Fluoxetine is probably the best known SSRI (sold under the brand name Prozac).
Overall, citalopram appears to be the best-tolerated SSRI, followed by fluoxetine, sertraline, paroxetine, and fluvoxamine. The latter 2 drugs are associated with the most side effects and the highest discontinuation rates because of side effects in clinical trials.
SSRIs are: the most commonly prescribed antidepressants in Australia. often a doctor's first choice for most types of depression. often used for obsessive compulsive disorder.
Takeaway. The FDA has recently approved brexanolone (Zulresso) and esketamine (Spravato) to treat depression. These new approaches for treating depression appear to offer some worthwhile advantages compared to SSRIs and SNRIs, including acting in hours as opposed to days or weeks.
Which SSRI Works Fastest? Escitalopram is an SSRI under the brand name Lexapro. Individuals taking it may notice therapeutic effects within the first week. It has the fastest known response of an SSRI and the mechanisms behind it are still being studied.
The most effective antidepressant compared to placebo was the tricyclic antidepressant amitriptyline, which increased the chances of treatment response more than two-fold (odds ratio [OR] 2.13, 95% credible interval [CrI] 1.89 to 2.41).
Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) cover both depression and certain anxiety disorders including GAD and PD. However, TCAs are ineffective in SAD and post traumatic stress disorder where SSRIs are required.
Choosing an antidepressant — For the initial treatment of severe depression, we use serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).
Central nervous system effects. Fluoxetine seems to cause more activation (ie, central nervous system stimulation, which individual patients may experience as anxiety or agitation) than do the other SSRIs.
Venlafaxine, sold as Effexor, is the most common SNRI prescribed by doctors in Australia. Medications managing two chemicals in the brain, as SNRIs do, are more likely to come with side effects, Dr Eapen says.
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are the most prescribed type of antidepressant and include: Fluoxetine. Citalopram. Sertraline.
While the number of prescriptions of fluoxetine and the other 'new' antidepressants (moclobemide, paroxetine and sertraline) have yet to overtake the tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) in Australia2, current trends would suggest that this is not unlikely in the near future.
Prozac (Fluoxetine)
Prozac gives people more energy than other antidepressants. That being said, it can be helpful for those with low energy. Fluoxetine treats many mental health issues, including depression, OCD, and panic disorder.
Before deciding which antidepressant to prescribe, a doctor may try to determine the severity of your symptoms and the condition you may have. A recent literature review suggests that certain types of antidepressants may be better suited to treating certain types of depression (i.e., major or psychotic).
SSRIs are usually the first choice medicine for depression because they generally have fewer side effects than most other types of antidepressant.
Antidepressants that don't make you tired
Antidepressants that are known to be best for energy include Prozac (fluoxetine), Zoloft (sertraline), and Wellbutrin (bupropion).