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Emsam Alternatives

If you experience bothersome side effects while taking Emsam, or if the medicine is not adequately controlling your depression symptoms, your healthcare provider may recommend trying alternatives to Emsam. There are numerous other depression treatments available, including therapy, electroconvulsive therapy, alternative therapies, and other antidepressants. Some of the medications that can be used as Emsam alternatives include SSRIs, SNRIs, MAOIs, and tricyclic antidepressants.

 

An Overview of Emsam Alternatives

Emsam® (selegiline transdermal patch) is a prescription medicine used for the treatment of depression (also known as major depression or clinical depression). Emsam is part of a group of antidepressant medications called monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs). For most people, Emsam is effective at treating symptoms of depression. Most people also tolerate Emsam well. However, as with all medicines, it is possible that side effects may occur during treatment with Emsam or that the medicine may not adequately control a person's symptoms. Fortunately, there are several alternatives to Emsam for depression treatment, including:
 
  • Therapy
  • Other depression medications (also known as antidepressants)
  • Electroconvulsive therapy
  • Alternative (natural) therapies.
 

Therapy as an Emsam Alternative

Many forms of psychotherapy, including some short-term (10 weeks to 20 weeks) therapies, can help people with depression. "Talk" therapies help patients gain insight into and resolve their problems through verbal exchange with the therapist, sometimes combined with "homework" assignments between sessions. Behavioral therapists help patients learn how to obtain more satisfaction through their own actions and how to unlearn the behavioral patterns that contribute to, or result from, their depression.
 
(Click Psychotherapy for Depression to learn more about this option for depression treatment.)
 
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Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;