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Table 2 Commonly used antidepressant medications

From: Genome-wide approaches to antidepressant treatment: working towards understanding and predicting response

Antidepressant class

Examples

Mode of action

Adverse effects

Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs)

Nortriptyline, amitriptyline, imipramine, dothiepin

Block norepinephrine and serotonin reuptake transporters; also antagonize serotoninergic, histaminergic, adrenergic and cholinergic receptors

Common side effects include dry mouth and constipation; cardiovascular issues can occur; fatal in overdose

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)

Fluoxetine, sertraline, paroxetine, citalopram, escitalopram

Block serotonin reuptake transporters; more selective than TCAs

Common side effects include nausea, sexual dysfunction; lower cardiotoxicity than TCAs (therefore safer in overdose)

Serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs)

Venlafaxine, duloxetine

Block norepinephrine and serotonin reuptake transporters; more selective than TCAs

Common side effects similar to SSRIs; also associated with increased blood pressure