New Medications For Depression: Understanding The 4 Basic Categories

New medications for depression are now available for persons who are suffering from major depression, extreme anxiety and other mood disorders. Some of these new medications, however, haven't been tested extensively yet to ascertain that they are effective and safe. Can these new medications help you get well? What are the things that you should consider before you take these medicines?

Different Types of Antidepressants

The most common types of depression medication or anti-depressants are the SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors), SNRIs (serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors), NASSAs (noradrenergic and specific serotonergic antidepressants), NRIs (norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors), TCAs (tricyclic antidepressants), and MAOIs (monoamine oxidase inhibitors).

Antidepressants today are easy to administer. They usually are in a form of tablets for oral administration.

SSRI

SSRIs are used to address the production of serotonin, because a lot of studies show that serotonin plays a major role in depression. Inadequate amount of it in the brain may result in the delay or slowness of transmission of signals between neurons, specifically in the region of the brain where mood is processed. SSRIs are believed to maintain serotonin levels so that depression and its symptoms are thwarted. SSRI is widely used today because of its effectiveness and promise of safety.

SNRI

The SNRIs are a newer form of antidepressants - they work along the same lines like SSRIs but cover both 5-HT and norepinephrine. NASSAs are another newer antidepressant class that increase norepinephrine and minimize side effects attributed to serotonin.

NRI

NRIs like the Edronax reboxetine are believed to achieve positive increases in concentrating ability and motivation, although there is also belief that NRIs induce aggression in the user. TCAs or tricyclic antidepressants are older types of depression medications. These TCAs are known to have side effects ranging from drowsiness, constipation, sexual dysfunction, heartbeat aberration, urinary retention, vision-related disorders, and confusion.

MAOI

The MAOI class or monoamine oxidase inhibitors are seldom prescribed, though still recommended under strict prescription and supervision, for depression treatment.

Other New Medications

While there is a wide array of antidepressant drugs, medical experts think that combinations of antidepressants also work effectively depending on the patient's medical history and bodily conditions. These are known as augmentors and include tryptophan and buspirone.

For example, to ease anxiety and address sleeplessness or insomnia, benzodiazepine tranquilizers or sedatives are prescribed. These are prescribed for the short-term only, though, due to their potential to induce dependency and habit-formation in the user.

Quetiapine like Seroquel is sometimes used to treat manic depression, although the potential side effect is to induce somnolence. In such case, it can be used as an anti-anxiety agent.

Then there are the antipsychotics used as mood stabilizers; these are used to treat bouts or disorders of anxiety. Using these antipsychotic drugs as augmentor for antidepressants is a recent attempt to ease paranoid symptoms and address anxiety at the same time.

Combining antidepressants with other medication is a new medication regimen for depression because of a number of factors. One is that some antidepressants may act as psycho-stimulants; on the other hand, there are psycho-stimulants that can aid in treating excessive eating.

Combining two antidepressant drugs may be acceptable in order to address a number of depression symptoms. It is imperative however that the combination and augmentation of these medications be under strict prescription and supervision by medical experts, as abuse is very possible in the very nature of antidepressants being habit-forming. New medications for depression may well be combinations or individual prescriptions that nonetheless require prudence and medical advice in their use.

Considering Medication?

Don't take any of these medicines without your doctor's prescription. Although these new medicines for depression are a prescription drug, there are people who sell these medications illicitly. Don't buy from them.

When you discuss the possibilities of taking these medicines, tell your doctor everything: your medical history, other medicines you are currently taking and any allergies to certain medications. The reason is that new medications for depression may work adversely with other types of medicine.