Depression Medication: Mirtazapine, Nefazodone, Trazodone
Description
This article is from the Health Articles series.
Depression Medication: Mirtazapine, Nefazodone, Trazodone
There is an increasing number of other antidepressant medications that you might want to explore with your doctor or health-care professional. Trazodone, for example, is believed to work in the treatment of depression by affecting the neurotransmitter serotonin. Its use is limited though, because of its side effects.
It's presumed that Nefazodone treats depression by affecting two neurotransmitters, serotonin and—to some extent—norepinephrine.
Mirtazapine affects both serotonin and norepinephrine, which is assumed to be the reason it is effective in treating depression.
Because these medications are in the same class and the way they work is complicated, we will deal with them together.
Side Effects – Mirtazapine
The side effects of mirtazapine include:
Weight gain and sleepiness are the most bothersome side effects of mirtazapine, but it doesn't seem to cause the sexual problems that some other antidepressants can.
Side Effects – Nefazodone
You may experience any of the following side effects of nefazodone:
Nefazodone doesn't appear to cause the sexual problems like some other medications, but problems with vision can include spots before the eyes, blind spots, and after images. These problems aren't permanent, however.
Side Effects – Trazodone
The following are possible side effects of trazodone:
Priapism, a persistent and painful erection, is a rare but serious side effect that may require emergency treatment. The nausea and fainting can be countered by taking the medication on a full stomach. Trazodone is sometimes used to help people with depression sleep.
With the exception of trazodone most people experience few side effects with these medications. The side effects will often disappear or lessen as your body adjusts to the medication, but some people may not be able to tolerate the side effects and will have to stop taking the antidepressant.
Be sure to inform your health-care professional of any side effects you experience. He or she can help by changing your dose or switching you to a different drug.
Special Considerations
Be careful driving a vehicle or operating machinery when you first start any of these medications. They may make you drowsy or dizzy.
Happily, you don't need to be on a special diet with any of these drugs. Mirtazapine may cause you to gain weight, however, but nefazodone and trazodone are less likely to do this.
Check with your health-care professional before drinking any alcohol with these medications, but it may be safe in very small amounts.
It's also a good idea to check with your health-care professional before taking any other medications to make sure there won't be complications.
Finally, you won't need to have your blood tested for the levels of any of these drugs.
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