Tricyclic Antidepressants And Their Possible Adverse Effects
Tricyclic antidepressants are actually among the oldest antidepressants, which have already helped a lot of people suffering from major depressive disorder since 1950’s.
Generally, tricyclic antidepressants work by controlling the brain’s reuptake or serotonin and norepinephrine. Partly, they also work considerably in the reabsorption of dopamine. H
owever, though they work very well on most chemicals that have something to do with the development of a depressive disorder, it may take few weeks for you to see the good result of using such antidepressants, normally it will take you around two weeks or so.
Tricyclic Antidepressant Varieties
Well-known tricyclic antidepressant may actually include:
- Imipramine (Tofranil)
- Clomipramine (Anafranil)
- Desipramine (Norpramin)
- Amitriptyline (Elavil)
- Amoxapine (Asendin)
- Nortriptyline (Pamelor)
- Doxepin (Sinequan)
- Maprotiline (Ludiomil)
- Protriptyline (Vivactil)
- Trimipramine (Surmontil)
Possible Adverse Effects Brought by Tricyclic Antidepressant
Tricyclic antidepressants can actually help a lot, but they can also cause you more than what some other antidepressants would do. Mainly because of their wide scope of work, they more or less can cause you some adverse effects such as:
- Drowsiness
- Anxiety
- Restlessness
- Dry mouth
- Constipation
- Urinary retention
- Difficulty in urinating
- Cognitive and some memory problems
- Weight gain
- Increased sweating
- Dizziness
- Decrease in sexual drive and ability
- Muscle twitches
- Fatigue
- Weakness
- Nausea
- Increased heart beats or irregular heart rhythms
Obviously, using tricyclic antidepressants can cause you more side effects compared when you use some other antidepressants like SSRIs and the atypical antidepressants, and so for such reason, tricyclic antidepressants are not usually prescribed first.
Withdrawal Symptoms
Tricyclic antidepressants, just like most antidepressants, can also cause a lot of withdrawal symptoms when discontinued suddenly. Thus, if you see and feel it’s now time to stop using such, always consult your doctor for some advice. More or less, you’ll be advised to give your body first some time to adjust and eventually prepare.