Recent advances in antidepressant drugs.
Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) are notorious for a number of disadvantages, but particularly for an array of side-effects that leads to poor compliance, and also for a dangerous toxicity in overdose. Lofepramine is a new tricyclic that seems safer. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are more limited in their actions. Side-effects include nausea and insomnia, but on the whole the side-effect profile is an improvement on the TCAs. A miscellaneous group of novel antidepressants includes mianserin and trazodone (which both produce drowsiness) and viloxazine (which causes nausea). The reversible inhibitors of monoamine oxidase A (RIMAs) are a group of drugs that, by producing inhibition selectively of monoamine oxidase A (MOA-A), still allow metabolism of tyramine by MAO-B. Moclobemide is a RIMA that has proved itself to be very effective in severe depressive illness. It is remarkably safe and has an exceptionally low incidence of side-effects. It may be expected to be associated with a high acceptability in depressed patients.
Priest
R G
RG
Academic Department of Psychiatry, St Mary's Hospital Medical School, London, UK.
Baldwin
D S
DS
Bullock
T
T
Kibel
D
D
Smeyatsky
N
N
Steinert
J
J
D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000929:Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008996:Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012702:Serotonin Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use
D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D000929:Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic; D008996:Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors; D012702:Serotonin Antagonists