To decide which depression medicine is best for you, your doctor will consider:

• How severe your depression is
• The pattern of your depression (eg, how long symptoms last)
• The history of your depression
• Possible side effects of the depression medicine
• Other medical conditions you have and medicines you take

Antidepressant Medicines for Depression

• There are many types of medicines that help relieve the symptoms of depression.
• Each type works differently to balance certain chemicals in the brain—norepinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin.
• The most common medicine categories are SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors), SNRIs (serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors), atypical antidepressants, TCAs (tricyclic antidepressants), heterocyclic antidepressants, and MAO inhibitors (monoamine oxidase inhibitors).

Your doctor may prescribe one or more of these medicines to help you feel better and stay better:

• SSRIs increase the level of serotonin in the brain. Along with treating the symptoms of depression, they may also help relieve anxiety. Some patients may experience side effects like weight gain, dizziness, and sexual dysfunction.

• SNRIs affect both serotonin and norepinephrine levels in the brain and may work on the energy and mood aspects of depression.

• Atypical antidepressants can increase the levels of dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine. Along with treating the symptoms of depression, some also help relieve anxiety.

• TCAs and heterocyclics increase the levels of norepinephrine and/or serotonin and may affect other brain chemical levels in the brain.

• MAOIs may increase the levels of serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine. MAOIs may cause serious side effects when taken with certain foods and medicines, so be sure to tell your doctor about the other medicines you are taking.

Talk Therapy

Counseling, or "talk therapy," is one of the most effective ways to treat depression. You may find that just talking about how you feel can bring some relief. There are several kinds of talk therapy used to treat depression. Talk to your doctor to decide which therapy may work best for you.

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