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Tricyclic Anti-Depressants

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Tricyclic Anti-Depressants are medicines that relieve mental depression.

Purpose

Used to treat mental depression, Tricyclic Anti-Depressants, like other Anti-Depressant Drugs, reduce symptoms such as extreme sadness, hopelessness, and lack of energy. Some Tricyclic Anti-Depressants are also used to treat Bulimia, cocaine withdrawal, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorders, certain types of chronic pain, and bed-wetting in children.


Description

Named for their three-ring chemical structure, Tricyclic Anti-depressants work by correcting chemical imbalances in the brain. But because they also affect other chemicals throughout the body, these drugs may produce many unwanted side effects.


Tricyclic Anti-depressants are available only with a physician's prescription and are sold in tablet, capsule, liquid, and injectable forms. Some commonly used Tricyclic Anti-depressants are Amitriptyline, Desipramine, Imipramine, Nortriptyline, and Protriptyline. Different drugs in this family have different effects, and physicians can choose the drug that best fits the patient's symptoms.