Pharmacologic Substance
antidepressant
an·ti·de·pres·sant [ an-tee-di-pres-uahnt, an-tahy- ]
Subclass of:
Psychotropic Drugs
Also called:
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors; SSRIs; Tricyclic antidepressants
Definitions related to antidepressive agents:
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(antidepressant) A drug used to treat depression.NCI Dictionary of Cancer TermsU.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
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(antidepressant) A psychiatric drug used to treat mood disorders, such as depression.Harvard Dictionary of Health TermsHarvard Medical Publishing, 2011
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(antidepressants) Antidepressants are medicines that treat depression. Your doctor can prescribe them for you. They work to balance some of the natural chemicals in our brains. It may take several weeks for them to help. There are several types of antidepressants. You and your doctor may have to try a few before finding what works best for you. Antidepressants may cause mild side effects that usually do not last long. These may include headache, nausea, sleep problems, restlessness, and sexual problems. Tell your doctor if you have any side effects. You should also let your doctor know if you take any other medicines, vitamins, or herbal supplements. It is important to keep taking your medicines, even if you feel better. Do not stop taking your medicines without talking to your doctor. You often need to stop antidepressants gradually. NIH: National Institute of Mental HealthMedlinePlusU.S. National Library of Medicine, 2021
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(antidepressant agent) A pharmacological agent that acts on neurotransmitter signaling pathways to alleviate the symptoms of depression.NCI ThesaurusU.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
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Mood-stimulating drugs used primarily in the treatment of affective disorders and related conditions. Several MONOAMINE OXIDASE INHIBITORS are useful as antidepressants apparently as a long-term consequence of their modulation of catecholamine levels. The tricyclic compounds useful as antidepressive agents (ANTIDEPRESSIVE AGENTS, TRICYCLIC) also appear to act through brain catecholamine systems. A third group (ANTIDEPRESSIVE AGENTS, SECOND-GENERATION) is a diverse group of drugs including some that act specifically on serotonergic systems.NLM Medical Subject HeadingsU.S. National Library of Medicine, 2021
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Antidepressant, any member of a class of drugs prescribed to relieve depression. There are several major classes of antidepressant drugs, the best known of which include the tricyclic antidepressants, monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Other...Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., 2020
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