Tricyclic antidepressants
Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) were the first antidepressants to be developed. They work by boosting the signalling substances serotonin and noradrenaline in the brain but they also block different receptors in the nervous system. This means they have a slightly different mode of action to the SSRIs/SNRIs.
This group comprises, amongst others:
- nortriptyline
- clomipramine
- imipramine
Side effects may include:
- dryness of the mouth
- restlessness and agitation
- nausea and vomiting
- sedation
- constipation
- tendency to sweat
- problems focusing your sight at a short distance (especially in the young)
- difficulty passing urine (especially in elderly men with an enlarged prostate gland)
- dizziness (especially when getting up from a sitting or lying position)
- weight increase (this is common and potentially severe)
- headache
- sexual problems (lack of desire, delayed/absent ejaculation)
- mild shaking or tremor of the hands
- palpitations