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Antidepressant Drugs: Overview

Antidepressant Drugs: Overview

Antidepressant drugs are a class of medications primarily used for treating various mood disorders, including major depression, anxiety disorders, and other related conditions. These medicines work by modulating the neurotransmitter balance within the brain, alleviating depressive symptoms. Antidepressants can be broadly categorized into several groups according to their mechanism of action and chemical structure: Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs), Serotonin-Norepinephrine...

Antidepressant Drugs: MAOIs and Other Agents

Antidepressant Drugs: MAOIs and Other Agents

Atypical antidepressants, including bupropion (Wellbutrin), mirtazapine (Remeron), nefazodone (Serzone), trazodone (Desyrel), and vilazodone (Viibryd), offer unique mechanisms of action. Bupropion weakly inhibits dopamine and norepinephrine reuptake, aiding depression treatment and smoking cessation, with a low risk of sexual dysfunction. Mirtazapine enhances serotonin and norepinephrine neurotransmission, leading to sedation, increased appetite, and weight gain. As a result, it helps treat...

Antidepressant Drugs: Tricyclics, SSRIs, and SNRIs

Antidepressant Drugs: Tricyclics, SSRIs, and SNRIs

Tricyclic Antidepressants (TCAs), including Desipramine (Norpramin), Imipramine (Tofranil), Clomipramine (Anafranil), and Amitriptyline (Elavil), inhibit serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake and also block other receptors. They are used for depression, pain conditions, and insomnia. Common adverse effects include anticholinergic effects, sedation, orthostatic hypotension, and weight gain. They have a narrow therapeutic window and so require plasma-level monitoring. Abrupt discontinuation can...

Drugs Affecting GI Tract Motility: Serotonin Receptor Agonists

Drugs Affecting GI Tract Motility: Serotonin Receptor Agonists

Serotonin, a crucial neurotransmitter synthesized by enterochromaffin cells, plays a cardinal role in regulating gastrointestinal (GI) motility. With over 90% of the body's total serotonin in the GI tract, its influence on digestive processes is profound. Serotonin is swiftly released upon various stimuli, such as food boluses or certain drugs, triggering intrinsic sensory neurons in the myenteric plexus and extrinsic vagal and spinal sensory neurons. This leads to the activation of the...

Drugs Affecting Neurotransmitter Release or Uptake

Drugs Affecting Neurotransmitter Release or Uptake

Certain drugs can affect how neurotransmitters called catecholamines, are released or taken back up in the adrenergic neuron. They can have different effects on the body's sympathetic transmission. Reserpine, a natural compound found in the Rauwolfia shrub, blocks a transporter called vesicular monoamine transporter (VMAT), which leads to a buildup of catecholamines in the cell and reduces sympathetic transmission. Another drug called guanethidine works in multiple ways, including blocking...

Drugs for Treatment of Diarrhea-Predominant IBS

Drugs for Treatment of Diarrhea-Predominant IBS

Diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D) is a subtype of IBS characterized primarily by frequent, loose, or watery stools, abdominal pain, and abdominal discomfort. Therapeutic approaches to managing IBS-D include dietary changes, stress management techniques, and pharmaceutical interventions.
Two specific drugs used in the treatment are alosetron (Lotronex) and eluxadoline (Viberzi). Alosetron, a 5-HT3 antagonist, works by slowing the movement of stools in the gut, reducing bowel...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 19, 2026

The Forced Swim Test as a Model of Depressive-like Behavior

The Forced Swim Test as a Model of Depressive-like Behavior

Published on: March 2, 2015

[When an antidepressant helps too much].

Marko Sorvaniemi¹

¹Turun yliopisto ja Satakunnan Psykiatripalvelu Oy, Rauman Erikoislääkärikeskus Valtakatu 9-11, Rauma.

Duodecim; Laaketieteellinen Aikakauskirja

|October 21, 2009

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Antidepressant initiation can trigger hypomania or mania, with varying risks among drug classes. Combining antidepressants with mood stabilizers minimizes this risk, though efficacy may be reduced.

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Area of Science:

Psychiatry
Pharmacology
Neuroscience

Context:

Antidepressant therapy is common for mood disorders.
Certain antidepressants carry a risk of inducing hypomania or mania.
This risk is particularly relevant for patients with bipolar disorder or a predisposition.

Purpose:

To review the risk of antidepressant-induced hypomania or mania.
To compare the risk across different antidepressant classes.
To outline management strategies for this adverse effect.

Summary:

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and bupropion have a lower risk of inducing hypomania/mania compared to venlafaxine and tricyclic antidepressants.
Concurrent use of mood stabilizers significantly reduces the risk of hypomania/mania.
Management involves discontinuing the offending antidepressant, initiating or increasing mood stabilizer dosage, and potentially using short-term antipsychotics.

Impact:

Informing clinical practice for safer antidepressant prescribing.
Reducing the incidence of treatment-emergent mania/hypomania.
Improving patient outcomes in mood disorder management.