SSRIs

The past decade has seen the introduction of new antidepressants that work as well as the older ones but with fewer side effects. A group of these medications primarily affect one neurotransmitter--serotonin--and are called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). These include fluoxetine (Prozac), sertraline (Zoloft), fluvoxamine (Luvox), paroxetine (Paxil), and citalopram (Celexa).

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The great benefit of these medicines is that their dosage does not have to be carefully monitored with frequent blood tests, like some of the older antidepressants, because the SSRIs are not fatal in an overdose. As a result, increasingly general practitioners, internists, even pediatricians feel comfortable prescribing the SSRIs, and psychiatrists often use them as the first line of treatment before resorting to other options.

This section also includes information on side effects.