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Medication Information
Common Medications
Antidepressant Medication
Tricyclics and Tetracyclics
These, along with the MAOI's, are considered the classic antidepressant drugs; they are also effective in a wide range of other disorders, including panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, eating disorders, and pain disorder. Enuresis and ADHD are the most common established indications for the tricyclics in children.
Side Effects
These drugs share a number of common side effects the possibility of inducing manic episodes (especially in bipolar I patients), anticholinergic effects (dry mouth, constipation, blurred vision, and urinary retention), sedation, orthostatic hypotension, fatigue, poor concentration, and dizziness. Some patients may also experience such symptoms as tachycardia and other cardiac arrythmias, psychomotor stimulation, allergic reactions, weight gain, and a variety of other less common symptoms, such as insomnia, tremors, weakness, sweating, vomiting, nervousness, peripheral neuritis, atoxia, endocrinal effects, and changes in blood sugar concentration. In some cases decreased libido and sexual performance become a problem. In rare cases a patient may experience hallucinations, seizures, convulsions, or other esoteric symptoms such as black tongue, leucophenia, jaundice, esinophilia, purpura, or agranulocytosis. As a general rule, the side effects associated with this class of drugs are not severe, and will usually decrease with prolonged use. Dosages will vary according to age, body weight, health condition, and tolerance.
Generic Names
Some of the generic names follow (trade names in parenthesis)
- amitriptyline (Elavil, Endep, Enden, Tryptizol)
- amitriptyline + (perphenazine, Etrafon, Triavil)
- amoxapine (Asendin)
- clomipramine (Anafranil)
- desipramine (Norpramine, Pertofrane)
- dothiepin (Prothiaden)
- doxepin (Adapin, Sinequan)
- imipramine (Tofranil, Janimine)
- lofepramine (Gamanil--not used in US)
- maprotiline (Ludiomil)
- nortriptyline (Pamelor, Ventyl, Aventyl)
- protriptyline hydro-chloride (Vivactil)
- trimipramine (Surmontil)
Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors (MAOI's)
These drugs are generally accepted as being equal in efficacy to other antidepressant drugs but are currently used less frequently because of the dietary precautions that must be followed (total avoidance of tyramine-containing foods) and the interactions with numerous other medications. They are often used as an alternative for patients who do not respond to the tricyclics and tetracyclics, or in atypical depressions. In addition to depression, MAOI's are use d to treat bipolar disorder, panic disorder with agoraphobia, posttraumatic stress disorder, eating disorders, social phobia, and pain disorder.
Side Effects
Among the more common adverse side effects are orthostatic hypotension, weight gain, edema, sexual dysfunction, insomnia, sweating, dizziness, blurred vision, weakness, drowsiness, and constipation. Occasionally a patient will experience m uscle pains, difficulty in urinating, myoclonus, or parathesia. Particular care must be taken not to ingest food containing appreciable amounts of tyramine (alcohol, especially beer and wines, broad beans, aged cheese, nuts, beef or chicken liver, orange pulp, canned figs, chocolate, yeast and yeast vitamin supplements, caffeine-containing products like coffee and colas, meat extracts, summer sausages, packaged soups, and pickled or smoked fish, poultry, or other meats), as they are likely to have a hypertensive reaction that can be life-threatening. In addition, certain medicines must also be avoided, such as anesthetics (spinal or local) containing epinephrine, antiasthmatic medications, antihypertensives, antihistimines, diet pills, narcotics (such as Demerol), certain allergy medicines, APC or empirin compounds, L-Dopa or L-tryptophan, cold and hayfever preparations, sinus medicines, sympathomimetics, SSRI's, and the tricyclic and tetracyclic drugs.
Generic Names
Some of the generic names follow (trade names in parenthesis)
- brofaromine (Consonar--not sold in US)
- chlorgyline (*)
- isocarboxazid (Marplan)
- moclobemide (Aurorix, Manerix --not sold in US)
- pargyline (Eutonyl)
- phenelzine (Nardil)
- selegeline (Eldepryl)
- tranylcypromine (Parnate)
Serotonin-specific Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRI's)
These drugs, along with the tricyclic and tetracyclic drugs and the MAOI's, are considered the major antidepressant drugs; they are also effective in a wide range of disorders, including bipolar I disorder, dysthymic disorder, eating disorders, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and borderline personality disorder. Because they generally have fewer adverse side effects than other classes of antidepressants they are more widely prescribed; one SSRI, fluoxetine (Prozac), the least cardiotoxic of all antidepressants, has become the most widely prescribed antidepressant and is one of the top ten most prescribed drugs in the US.
Side Effects
The most common adverse side effects involve the central nervous system and the gastrointestinal system; they include headache, nervousness, insomnia, drowsiness, anxiety, agitation, nausea, diarrhea, anorexia, and dyspepsia. More rarely patients may experience sexual dysfunction or allergic reactions (rashes). These drugs are generally considered to well-tolerated, and some adverse symptoms may lessen or disappear with continued use.
Generic Names
Some of the generic names follow (trade names in parenthesis)
- citalopram (not sold in US)
- fluoxetine (Prozac)
- fluvoxamine (Luvox)
- paroxetine (Paxil)
- sertraline (Zoloft)
- serzone (?)
Miscellaneous
These are the drugs that, because of their chemical properties or the way in which they work, do not fit in any of the other categories. The sympathomimetics are recognized as being effective in the treatment of depressive disorders in special populations, such as the medically ill. Other medications work independently as antidepressants, while others work as adjuvant (facilitator or enhancer) or to potentiate other antidepressant drugs; adjuvants are so indicated on the chart.
Side Effects
Side effects vary depending upon the chemical composition of the compound. Bupropion, for example has very few serious side effects; they include headache, insomnia, upper respiratory complaints, nausea, restlessness, agitation, and irrit ability, but not the anticholinergic effects and orthostatic hypotension seen in many of the others. The only significant adverse effect from L-tryptophan is nausea, or, in very rare cases, hepatotoxicity. The most common adverse effects of lithium treatment are gastric distress, weight gain, tremor, fatigue, and mild cognitive impairment. Nefazodone seems to be fairly benign, not displaying the sedation, orthostatic hypotension, and priapism that is seen in some others. Side effects of pindolol are usually mild, the most common being male impotence, as with all beta-blockers. The sympathomimetics are usually associated with anxiety, irritability, insomnia, and dysphoria. When taking thyroid hormones, patients sometimes experience weight loss, palpitations, nervousness, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, sweating, tachycardia, increased blood pressure, tremors, headache, and insomnia; osteoporosis may also occur with long-term treatment. Trazadone sometimes produces sedation, orthostatic hypotension, dizziness, headache, dry mouth, and nausea. Occasionally gastric irritation occurs. Nausea, somnolence, dry mouth, dizziness, nervousness, constipation, asthenia, anxiety, anorexia, blurred vision, and sexual dysfunction were associated with venlafaxine.
Generic Names
Some of the generic names follow (trade names in parenthesis)
- bupropion (Wellbutrin)
- dextroamphetamine (Dexedrine)
- liothyronine (Cytomel)
- L-tryptophan (not used in US)lithium (adjuvant) (Eskalith, Lithane, Cibalith-S, Lithobid, Lithonate, Lithotabs)
- methylphenidate (Ritalin)
- nefazodone (not used in US)
- pemoline (Cylert)
- pindolol (Visken)
- thyroxine (adjuvant) (Levoxine, Levothroid, Synthroid)
- trazadone (Desyrel)
- venlafaxine (Effexor)
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Table of Contents
This list is an overview of common medications prescribed for mental health disorders and their side effects. The overview is not to be construed as medical advice in any form. Always consult a licensed physician regarding questions of medication.
Courtesy: http://www.kodie.demon.co.uk/pmeds2.htm
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