Treatment FAQ

which antidepressant is now considered to be the first choice in treatment of depression

by Dr. Noel Goldner Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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SSRIs are usually the first choice medicine for depression because they generally have fewer side effects than most other types of antidepressant. As well as depression, SSRIs can be used to treat a number of other mental health conditions, including: generalised anxiety disorder (GAD)

What is the #1 antidepressant?

Zoloft is the most commonly prescribed antidepressant; nearly 17% of those surveyed in the 2017 antidepressant use study reported that they had taken this medication.Dec 23, 2021

What is the first line treatment for depression?

Choosing an antidepressant — For the initial treatment of severe depression, we use serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).Oct 21, 2021

What is the most common antidepressant prescribed for depression?

SSRIs are among the most commonly prescribed medications. Some examples of SSRIs include sertraline (Zoloft®), paroxetine (Paxil®), fluoxetine (Prozac®) and citalopram (Celexa®).May 24, 2019

What is the drug of choice for depression?

Antidepressants are a popular treatment choice for depression. Although antidepressants may not cure depression, they can reduce symptoms. The first antidepressant you try may work fine.

Which antidepressants are prescribed first?

SSRIs are usually the first choice medicine for depression because they generally have fewer side effects than most other types of antidepressant.

Is Wellbutrin a first line antidepressant?

Wellbutrin is often used as a first-line antidepressant in the treatment of MDD and SAD. Your doctor will evaluate your symptoms and current health status to determine if Wellbutrin is right for you.Nov 22, 2021

Which was the first SSRI?

Although fluoxetine was the first SSRI approved and marketed in the United States, the clinical trials (Phase I-Phase III) lasted more than seven years and during that time Astra AB introduced the first SSRI zimeldine (Zelmid®) to the European market in March 1982.

What are the top 5 antidepressants?

Top 5 antidepressants to treat depressionCitalopram.Escitalopram.Fluoxetine.Fluvoxamine.Paroxetine.Sertraline.Feb 8, 2022

What are the top 3 antidepressants?

The most commonly prescribed ones include:Fluoxetine.Citalopram.Sertraline.Paroxetine.Escitalopram.Mar 31, 2020

What category of medication is the first-line choice for treatment of depression and anxiety?

“For generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), both SSRIs and SNRIs are first in line,” she says. She added that the most commonly prescribed medications to treat both depression and anxiety are SSRIs and SNRIs. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are a class of medications that have a broad therapeutic range.May 1, 2020

What is the first-line treatment for anxiety?

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are currently considered the first-line medication for most forms of anxiety. They work by causing more serotonin to be available in the brain, which can improve both mood and anxiety.Feb 16, 2022

What is the best and safest antidepressant?

The investigators recommend sertraline as the best choice for an initial antidepressant because it is available in generic form and is therefore lower in cost. They further recommend that sertraline, instead of fluoxetine or placebo, be the new standard against which other antidepressants are compared.

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Why not use escitalopram first line?

So why not choose escitalopram first-line? One reason is safety concerns. As with citalopram, it can cause significant QTc prolongation, potentially increasing the risk of ventricular arrhythmias, which led to the 2011 Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency warning, restricting use and doses, 5 following which citalopram and escitalopram prescribing both fell. 3 QTc prolongation is less of an issue with sertraline and fluoxetine. Also, some escitalopram comparison studies use low therapeutic doses of escitalopram (for example, 10 mg daily) and non-equivalent significantly higher comparator SSRI doses (for example, sertraline 200 mg daily), which are known to lack greater efficacy but are associated with poorer tolerance and higher dropout rates. 6, 7 Conversely, comparator studies with less effective low-dose (and so non-dual action) venlafaxine (for example, 75 mg daily) may be used to demonstrate and claim equivalent efficacy. 6 There is still a relative lack of direct head-to-head trial evidence for escitalopram’s claimed superiority over other antidepressants, apart from citalopram. 6

What are the problems with SSRIs?

PROBLEMS WITH THE SSRIS. SSRIs as a class increase the risk of gastrointestinal, uterine, and cerebral bleeding, particularly when taken with aspirin, non-steroidal anti-inflammatories, or anticoagulants.

Is sertraline better than citalopram?

Sertraline is probably a safer choice than citalopram or escitalopram due to the QTc prolongation issue and their potential interactions with, for example, methadone, antipsychotics, and erythromycin, although it causes more diarrhoea.

Is vortioxetine a SNRI?

However, it may be considered as a viable alternative when SSRIs, SNRIs, and mirtazapine are all contraindicated. Vortioxetine is a serotonin transporter blocker that increases the extracellular concentration of serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine, and so acts like an SNRI.

What is Cipriani's NMA?

The Cipriani group’s conclusions should be treated with some caution, as they are based on network meta-analysis (NMA). NMA methodology enables multiple treatments to be compared using both direct comparisons within randomised controlled trials, and indirect comparisons across trials based on a common comparator.

Does agomelatine affect serotonin?

Agomelatine is thought to act through a combination of antagonist activity at 5HT2C receptors and agonist activity at melatonergic MT1/MT2 receptors, which makes it unique among antidepressants, as it does not affect the reuptake of serotonin, norepinephrine (noradrenaline), or dopamine.

Can tramadol cause serotonin?

They are also more likely to cause hyponatraemia, especially for patients taking diuretics. Rarely, concomitant SSRI and tramadol use can lead to serotonin syndrome. For patients with these relative contraindications, mirtazapine, nortriptyline, or lofepramine would be a better first choice.

What are some examples of antidepressants?

More commonly prescribed antidepressants in this category include trazodone, mirtazapine (Remeron), vortioxetine (Trintellix), vilazodone (Viibryd) and bupropion (Wellbutrin SR, Wellbutrin XL, others).

What to do if antidepressant doesn't work?

If you have bothersome side effects or no significant improvement in your symptoms after several weeks, talk to your doctor about changing the dose, trying a different antidepressant (switching), or adding a second antidepressant or another medication (augmentation).

How to deal with depression with antidepressants?

Talk to your doctor or therapist about coping with depression symptoms as you wait for the antidepressant to take effect. Take your antidepressant consistently and at the correct dose. If your medication doesn't seem to be working or is causing bothersome side effects, call your doctor before making any changes.

What type of antidepressant is used for depression?

Many types of antidepressant medications are available to treat depression, including: Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Doctors often start by prescribing an SSRI.

How long does it take for an antidepressant to work?

Once you and your doctor have selected an antidepressant, you may start to see improvement in a few weeks, but it may take six or more weeks for it to be fully effective.

Can antidepressants help with depression?

Antidepressants are a popular treatment choice for depression. Although antidepressants may not cure depression, they can reduce symptoms. The first antidepressant you try may work fine. But if it doesn't relieve your symptoms or it causes side effects that bother you, you may need to try another. So don't give up.

Can antidepressants cause dry mouth?

Possible side effects. Side effects of antidepressants vary from one medication to another and from person to person. Bothersome side effects, such as dry mouth, weight gain or sexual side effects, can make it difficult to stick with treatment. Discuss possible major side effects with your doctor or pharmacist.

Which antidepressants are the most effective?

In head-to-head trials, the results showed that seven antidepressants—agomelatine, amitriptyline, escitalopram, mirtazapine, paroxetine, venlafaxine, and vortioxetine —were more effective than other antidepressants. The results showed the most acceptable antidepressants were agomelatine, citalopram, escitalopram, fluoxetine, sertraline, ...

How many double blind studies did Cipriani and colleagues conduct?

The authors, Cipriani and colleagues, examined 522 double-blind studies—some of which were placebo -controlled (they compared a drug against an inactive substance) and some were head-to-head trials (they compared one antidepressant against another).

Is agomelatine approved by the FDA?

Agomelatine, which appears to act on both the melatonin and serotonin systems, has not been approved by the FDA (perhaps because several previous studies concluded agomelatine had a smaller effect size than other antidepressants examined). Vortioxetine is considered a serotonin modulator and was approved by the FDA in 2013.

Is vortioxetine a serotonin modulator?

Vortioxetine is considered a serotonin modulator and was approved by the FDA in 2013. Escitalopram, a well-known selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), was approved by the FDA in 2002. Source: Vitabello/Pixabay.

Does antidepressant work for some people?

Even a medication considered highly effective may not work for some people or might cause serious side effects.

Is agomelatine a good antidepressant?

Therefore, it's necessary to consult with your treating physician before choosing an antidepressant. Having said that, the study reviewed found the antidepressants agomelatine, escitalopram, and vortioxetine effective and tolerated well enough to be considered a first-line antidepressant treatment for depression.

Why do we need multiple treatment meta-analysis?

A multiple-treatments meta-analysis will allow us to be better informed about the options that are available and will allow development of treatment guidelines that reflect the best available evidence.

Is bupropion the same as fluoxetine?

Paroxetine (Paxil) and bupropion (Wellbutrin) are similar to fluoxetine in effectiveness and tolerability. Fluvoxamine and duloxetine (Cymbalta) are less effective than fluoxetine. See Table 1 for a comparison of antidepressants available in the United States. 2.

What is the first line of treatment for serotonin reuptake inhibitor?

A selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor is often the first-line pharmacological treatment. Antidepressants to consider if the adverse effects of SSRIs are a concern. Other antidepressants are often prescribed to patients with more severe symptoms. Early follow-up after initiation is essential. Published: 11 May 2021.

What is the role of SSRI in depression?

A selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) is usually the first-line pharmacological treatment for patients with moderate to severe depression who have not responded sufficiently to non-pharmacological interventions.

What is non-pharmacological intervention?

Key practice points: Non-pharmacological interventions are essential in the management of patients with depression and should be continued if medicines are initiated. Antidepressants are generally reserved for patients with moderate to severe depression.

How long does it take to withdraw from antidepressants?

It is appropriate to consider withdrawing antidepressants from patients who are coping well one year after recovery from a single episode of depression or at least three years after recovery from multiple episodes. 2 Patients should be monitored for symptoms of a relapse for at least six months following antidepressant withdrawal.

What is the first line of medication for depression?

The first-line medicine for patients with depression is generally a SSRI, e.g. citalopram, escitalopram, sertraline or fluoxetine (Tables 1 and 2 ). 1, 2 This recommendation is based on a reduced risk of adverse effects and toxicity in overdose, rather than evidence of superior effectiveness over other classes of antidepressant. 1 As a rule, paroxetine is prescribed less frequently as it is associated with more anticholinergic effects, sedation and discontinuation syndrome, compared with other SSRIs. 2, 8, 9 However, it is not possible to predict how a patient will respond to an antidepressant, therefore if they have previously benefited from a specific antidepressant, reinitiating the same medicine is advisable.

What is the goal of treating depression?

a reduced likelihood of recurrence. 2, 6 A healthy lifestyle is an important and ongoing component of treatment and ideally, medicines will be withdrawn after the patient has recovered.

What are some ways to help people with depression?

Relaxation techniques, e.g. mindfulness. Education about depression, e.g. depression is not a sign of weakness, it is a serious medical condition experienced by one in six people at some stage in their life. Social support from whānau/family and friends. Maintaining cultural, religious or spiritual connections.

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