Treating depression is a priority of modern medical science, as new revelations continue showing that depression is far more common and widespread problem than previously understood. Many new developments in depression medicine have brought much more successful depression treatments to the market. Likewise, most physicians have a much better understanding of what depression is, how it works, and how to prescribe the right drugs to treat depression. This allows your primary physician to prescribe appropriate medications to begin to treat your problem before you have to see a psychiatrist. In mild to moderate depression, this may be all you need to return to life as it was before depression.

If you suffer with depression, the good news is that you have a lot of depression medicine options. This is important because not every drug works for every individual and because some individuals will suffer side effects from some of these prescriptions. There is no need to become frustrated or feel hopeless if you try a few different options without success because there are still many more choices available for you. The unfortunate thing is that you have to devote at least a month to each medication without missing any doses before you will see results, if you see results.

You will generally hear depression medications referred to as being MAOIs (Monoaminne Oxidase Inhbitors), SNRIs (Serotonnnin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors), or SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors). These terms simply describe how these medications improve the function of the brain's neurotransmitters. Generally, even if you achieve good results from your dosage you will also be given therapy and lifestyle changes that can help cure the cause of the depression.

You have probably seen commercials about or know people using such SSRI drugs as Prozac, Paxil, Luvox, and Zoloft. If your doctor prescribes a depression medicine from this list to you the side effects you need to be on the lookout for are drowsiness, mild headaches, decreased libido, insomnia, and nausea.

Some of the better known SNRI medicines on the market include Serzone and Effexor. The SNRIs are relatively safe as far as depression treatments go, but the possible side effects are also drowsiness, mild headaches, decreased libido, insomnia, and nausea.

The most common MAOI medications are Parnate and Nardil. They are used in cases of atypical depression. Among the original depression medicines still in use are the tricyclics Elavil, Norpramin, and Pamelor. These drugs are usually used after other treatments have failed, as they can have some serious side effects.