Best Medication Depression Anxiety: Choosing From The Lineup

Any discussion about the best medication for depression or anxiety disorders is sure to be controversial. Each antidepressant manufacturer will definitely fight tooth-and-nail to get that title of best medication for depression.

Depression/Anxiety Medications - The Lineup

The usual medication for depression includes a line-up of several drugs. There are SSRIs or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, usually the first line of defense, like citalopram, fluoxetine, paroxetine, and sertraline.

Citaloprams are antidepressants that address mood disorders. These SSRIs are branded as Celexa, Cipramil, Citrol, or Seropram. Citalopram is prescribed for depression and other disorders like social anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and even panic disorder.

Fluoxetine or fluoxetine hydrochloride, more commonly known by its brand name Prozac, is another SSRI for treating pediatric depression or depression in children, bulimia nervosa, panic disorder, and dysphoric disorder.

Paroxetine on the other hand is available in several brand names and is used primarily for the treatment of depression-related disorders like OCD or obsessive-compulsive disorder, PTSD or post-traumatic stress disorder, panic disorder, GAD or general anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder or the social phobia, and PMDD or premenstrual dysphoric disorder. Because paroxetine initially came to be known for its effectiveness in treating social anxiety disorder, it came to be referred to commonly as the anti-shyness drug.

Sertraline hydrochloride, sold under the brand name Zoloft, is another anti-depressant SSRI that is widely recognized in the market as it goes a long way back from its inception at Pfizer in the 1970s.

How Do These Medicines Basically Work?

These medicines primarily work by balancing the level of hormones or brain chemicals that their researchers think are the precursor to a healthy mind. For SSRI makers, the foundation of a healthy mind is having a great amount of serotonin in the brain, while some antidepressant makers, SNRIs maker, believe that the higher the amount of serotonin and norepinephrine in the body, the happier a man will be.

In doing so, they inhibit production of certain enzymes that breaks down the production of serotonin and norepinephrine.

What Patients Say

Patients who take these antidepressants claim that these medicines take effect very slowly. Effect is visible only after four weeks' time. In fact other patients even feel the effect at a later time, around six to eight weeks.

Also, it slows their thinking down as though they are living in a dreamlike state. It prevents them from thinking too much, which patients say may be the reason why they get well: the drug prevents them from re-living and re-playing all those negative experiences and feelings.

So Which is Which?

While SSRIs enjoy widespread recognition for their efficacy in treating depression, studies show that an emerging drug is challenging the position of the SSRIs. Effexor venlafaxine is being touted, according to depression.com, as being more effective than SSRIs, in that there is a more complete remission of depression symptoms. There are claims further that venlafaxine comes without the side effects attributed to SSRIs.

Note though that not all antidepressants are readily available or prescribed for children and teenagers or adolescents. Their doctors will have to determine the best medication for pediatric depression.

While SSRIs continue to be the first line of defense against depression, important warnings from pharmaceutical authorities do not discount the risk of children or adolescent suicidal tendencies being induced by the medication. The immediate family of the depressed person must be aware of telltale signs of suicidal tendencies.

Doctors are expected to evaluate the depressed person for drug abuse or drug dependence prior to the prescription of any type of medication for the depression. The evaluation will need to be mindful of physical and psychiatric assessments to ensure there are no co-existing disorders that may be adversely affected with the introduction of the depression medication.

Still even the best medication for depression will not be enough without the support of the patient's circle of family and friends. Medication coupled with individual and group therapy are found to be more effective.