In most cases, depression medications are usually named according to how they work, though there are still some exceptions. There are also some antidepressant medication that are not basically antidepressants, but they are used together with the antidepressant medication to bring out the antidepressant effect. If Antidepressants are used under the doctor’s prescription they can help control depression.

The four major types of depression medicine

SSRI

This abbreviation stands for Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors. As the name suggests, this medication for depression works in a way that they allow more serotonin to be available in the brain for use by the nerves in the brain. This is basically one of the most commonly used types of antidepressant. Using the medication has some few side-effects which include stomach upsets fatigue. Dizziness, sexual problems, weight chance insomnia amongst others. The common medication that falls under this category includes Celaxa, Lexapro, Luvox, Paxil, Prozac and Zoloft.

SNRIs

This abbreviation stands for serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors. The drug facilitates the availability of the chemicals serotonin and norepinephrine in the brain. This is basically a new type of antidepressants and includes medication such as effexox, desvenlafaxine, Prstiq and Cymbalta. There are also a number of side-effects that are associated with using this medication. The side-effects include dizziness sexual problems fatigue, insomnia and stomach upset. It is worth noting that the effect varies from person to person. There are people who can experience diverse effects while others will experience mild effects.

Tricyclics

These medications are not named for how they work, but rather from their chemical composition. They are the oldest used type of antidepressant medication. These medications work variably since there are some that will cause an increase of the hormone serotonin while others will cause and increase of norepinephrine. Most of these drugs are usually sold in their generic form. Some of the drugs that fall in this categoryare amoxapine, clomipramine, desipramine, dexepin, imipramine, nortriptyline amongst many others. The medication has a number of side-effects that include dry mouth, blood pressure changes, nausea dizziness stomach upsets among others.

MAOIs

This is an abbreviation for Monoanmine Oxidase Inhibitor. They are basically the second oldest class of medication. The medication works by making different type of brain chemicals available. Some of the chemicals they make available are dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin. The functioning of this drug is unique and, therefore, requires strict dietary measures. Some of the foods that have adverse dietary interaction with MAOIs include cheese, banana, chocolate, wines and chicken liver. These drugs work well, but due to their adverse effect they are rarely prescribed for use.

Other types of medication

There are other types of medication that only functioning by weakly affecting the functioning of the brain and such causing the antidepressant effect. Such drugs include Bupropin and aplenzin. They usually have very mild side-effects that include headaches, insomnia, stomach upsets and anxiety. This medication is usually less likely to cause any side-effects as compared to other antidepressants.

As long as you consult a good doctor and get the right prescription for your medication, depression can be effectively managed.