IS THERE AN ADVANTAGE TO VENLAFAXINE IN COMPARISON WITH OTHER ANTIDEPRESSANTS

The purpose of this article s to compare and contrast the benefits and limitations of antidepressant drugs. Several different classes of ant idepressants are available for treatment of major depressive disorder, each with its own benefits and limitations as a result of its pharmac ological profile. Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) and monoamine oxida se (MAO) inhibitors are effective in a large proportion of depressed p atients, but their use is often limited by short- and long-term safety /tolerability problems. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs ) exhibit comparable efficacy to TCAs in most patients, but may be les s effective in certain patients. Additionally, SSRI use may by impacte d by clinically significant drug interactions. Venlafaxine is a select ive serotonin-noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) with unique phar macological properties that may enhance its efficacy as well as its sa fety profile. In clinical trials, venlafaxine exhibits antidepressant activity in a broad range of patients with major depression, including those with melancholia, agitated or retarded symptoms, anxiety sympto ms, and refractory or resistant depression. Venlafaxine has shown pote ntial for an early onset of action and offers dose flexibility that ma y allow recruitment of additional responders at higher dosages. Becaus e of its lack of affinity for muscarinic cholinergic, histaminergic, a nd alpha(1)-adrenergic receptors, venlafaxine has a safety profile tha t is superior to that of TCAs. Venlafaxine also is devoid of the drug interactions characteristic of SSRIs.