Table 8.

Antidepressants-pharmacological profile

Drug	Recommended dose	Psychiatry indication	Side effects
Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRI)
Citalopram	20-60 mg/d at night Begin with 20mg/d Hike by 20 mg after 2-4 weeks in partial responders, maximum 60 mg/d	Depression, OCD, Panic disorder, Social Phobia	Nausea, sleep disturbances, sexual dysfunctions, appetite changes, headache, dry mouth
Escitalopram	10-30 mg/d at night Start with 10mg/d and to increase by 5 mg after 2-4 weeks in partial responders, maximum 30m/d	Depression, Anxiety disorders, OCD
Fluoxetine	10-80 mg/d in morning Begin with 10mg/d and can be increased by 20mg after 4 weeks up to 80mg/d	Depression, Anxiety disorders, OCD, Premature ejaculation, Bulimia nervosa
Fluvoxamine	100-300 mg/d at night or BD Start with 50mg/d, and to increase by 50-100mg every 2-4 weeks up to 300 mg/day	OCD, Depression, Post traumatic stress disorder
Paroxetine	12.5-37.5 mg/d in morning Start with 12.5mg/d and to increase by 12.5 mg every 2 weeks up to 37.5 mg/d	Depression, Anxiety disorders, OCD, Premature ejaculation, Premenstrual dysphoric disorder
Sertraline	50-200 mg/d at night Start with 50 mg/d, hike by 50 mg/day every 2 weeks in partial responders, up to 200 mg/d	Depression, Anxiety disorders, OCD, Premenstrual dysphoric disorder
Serotonin Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitor (SNRI)
Venlafaxine	37.5-300mg at night or BD Start with 37.5 mg/d and to increase by 37.5 mg/d every 2-4 weeks up to 300 mg/d	Depression, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder	Hypertension, tachycardia, nausea, sleep disturbances, sexual dysfunctions, appetite changes, headache, dry mouth
Desvenlafaxine	50-100 mg/d at night Start with 50mg/d and increase by 50 mg after 4 weeks in partial responders	Depression
Duloxetine	20-60 mg/d twice daily Start with 20mg/d and increase by 20mg every 2 weeks	Depression, generalized anxiety disorder, diabetic neuropathy, fibromyalgia, chronic pain
Norepinephrine-Dopamine Reuptake Inhibitor (NDRI)
Bupropion	150-450 mg/d in morning Start with 150mg/d and increase by 150 mg/d after 4 weeks in partial responders	Depression, smoking cessation	Seizures, headache, insomnia
Tricyclic Antidepressant (TCA)
Amitriptyline	25-150 mg/d at night Start with 25 mgd and to increase by 25 mg every 2 weeks	Depression, migraine, neuropathic pain, fibromyalgia	Dry mouth, dizziness, blurred vision, constipation, sedation, orthostatic hypotension, tachycardia
Clomipramine	25-250 mg/d at night	OCD, depression, panic disorder, body dysmorphic disorder, Trichotillomania, enuresis, chronic pain, premature ejaculation
Doxepin	25-150 mg/d at night	Depression, anxiety disorder, chronic hives
Imipramine	25-150 mg/d	Depression, nocturnal enuresis
Tetracyclic Antidepressant (TeCA)
Mirtazapine	7.5-30 mg/d at night Start with 7.5 mg/d and increase by 7.5mg every 2 weeks	Depression	Drowsiness, increased appetite, weight gain, hypercholesterolemia, cardiac disturbance

OCD=Obsessive compulsive disorder