Effexor XR Alternatives

Therapy as an Effexor XR Alternative

Many forms of psychotherapy, including some short-term (10 to 20 weeks) therapies, can help people with depression. "Talk" therapies help patients gain insight into and resolve their problems through verbal exchange with the therapist, sometimes combined with "homework" assignments between sessions. Behavioral therapists help patients learn how to obtain more satisfaction through their own actions and how to unlearn the behavioral patterns that contribute to, or result from, their depression.

 

 

Other Depression Medications

Fortunately, there are many medications available to treat depression. These medications can include:

 

SSRIs are usually very effective at treating depression and usually do not have many serious side effects. They work by increasing the level of serotonin available for cells of the brain. In addition to Effexor XR, these medications can include:

 

Monoamine oxidase inhibitors are a class of older medications used for treating depression. There are many serious food and drug interactions with MAOIs. Because of this, MAOIs are usually used only if other medications for depression have not been effective. A few examples of MAOIs include:

 

Tricyclic antidepressants are another older class of antidepressants. Due to certain side effects, they are generally not recommended for elderly people. Tricyclic types of depression medicine can include:

 

There are several other antidepressants available, including:

 

Sometimes, stimulant medications such as methylphenidate (Ritalin^®) are used to treat depression when other medications have not helped, though stimulants are not approved for this use.