Older Antidepressants Sometimes Work Better
Older Antidepressants Sometimes Work Better
Antidepressant medications are prescribed for depression associated
with various health problems. For almost 50 years, the prescription
antidepressants physicians used most often were the tricyclic
antidepressants. Examples include imipramine (Tofranil), amitriptyline
(Elavil), and nortriptyline (Aventyl). Today, these drugs are prescribed
less frequently than the newer antidepressants which include fluoxetine
(Prozac) and paroxetine (Paxil). While studies show tricyclic
antidepressants work well, newer ones have fewer side effects.
Recently, a small study sponsored by the National Institutes of
Health found that the older tricyclic antidepressants appeared to work
better than newer medications in managing depression associated with
Parkinson’s disease. The best depression-improvement score was recorded
for persons who took nortriptyline. Also, those who received
this antidepressant experienced a greater improvement in sleep problems,
anxiety, and social functioning than did those who received
paroxetine. Researchers involved advised close monitoring of persons
who are prescribed tricyclics.