Properties of the selective SSRI class of drugs

Drugs of the selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitor (SSRI) type include citalopram, escitalopram, fluoxetine, fluvoxamine, paroxetine and sertraline. These are currently the most commonly prescribed antidepressants. In addition to showing selectivity with respect to 5-HT over noradrenaline uptake inhibition, they are as efficacious as tricyclic antidepressants but without the anticholinergic side-effects. The unwanted effects of SSRIs include nausea, anorexia, insomnia and sexual dysfunction; caused by stimulation of different subtypes of 5-HT receptor.

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References

Drugs used in affective disorders. In: Pharmacology, 4^th edition. Rang HP, Dale MM and Ritter JM. Edinburgh, UK: Harcourt Publishers Ltd, 2001:550–565.

Antidepressants and mood stabilizers. In: Essential psychopharmacology. Neuroscientific basis and practical applications. Stahl SM. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 1996:131–166.