Depression and HIV

October 2003     View PDF     En español
Reprinted from www.aidsmeds.com, US

What if SSRIs don’t work?

A group of drugs referred to as cyclic antidepressants are also commonly used for treating major depressive episodes. They are extremely effective; their efficacy equals that of the newer antidepressants and in some situations they may be preferable. In past years they were the first line treatment for major depression, however, they have more side effects than SSRIs and now are usually used for patients who do not respond to SSRIs.