Other Depression Medications
Fortunately, there are many medications available to treat
depression. Some of these medications include:
Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRIs)
Serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) increase the level of serotonin and norepinephrine available for the cells of the brain.
Effexor is an SNRI. In addition to Effexor, there are two other SNRIs used to treat depression:
duloxetine (
Cymbalta®) and
desvenlafaxine (
Pristiq®). A long-acting version of Effexor (sold under the name Effexor
® XR) is also available.
Milnacipran (
Savella™) is an SNRI that is not approved for the treatment of depression (although it may be used
off-label for this purpose).
Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs)
SSRIs are usually very effective at treating depression and usually do not have many serious side effects. They work by increasing the level of serotonin available for cells of the brain. In addition to Effexor, these medications can include:
Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors (MAOIs)
Monoamine oxidase inhibitors are a class of older medications used for treating depression. There are many serious food and drug interactions with MAOIs. Because of this, MAOIs are usually used only if other medications for depression have not been effective. Some examples of MAOIs include:
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