= Drugs used to bring a patient out of depression The usual way these medicines work is to raise the bodys level of serotonin Serotonin is increased in its concentration by slowing down its destruction in the receptor sites Very few studies have been done using SSRI drugs for weight control
A major classification of drugs used medically to improve mood in severely depressed patients Included are the tricyclic compounds, Amitriptyline (Alluvial) and Imipramine (Trofranil) These are rarely used for nonmedical purposes, as they have little immediate pleasurable effect on normal mood states
a drug used to treat depression (=a mental illness that makes people very unhappy). Any drug used to treat depression. The three main types inhibit the metabolism of serotonin and norepinephrine in the brain. The aim is to keep these monoamine neurotransmitters from dropping to levels associated with depression. The drugs may take a few weeks to show any effect. Tricyclic antidepressants, which inhibit inactivation of norepinephrine and serotonin, help more than 70% of patients. Monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors apparently block the action of MAO, an enzyme that helps break down norepinephrine, serotonin, and dopamine in neurons. They have unpredictable side effects and are usually given only when tricyclic drugs do not help. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) apparently block reabsorption only of serotonin, allowing its levels to build up in the brain. SSRIs, which include fluoxetine (trade name Prozac), often help with depression unrelieved by tricyclics or MAO inhibitors and have milder side effects