Tricyclic antidepressant

Tricyclic antidepressants are an older class of medications used mainly to treat depression. They inhibit serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake and also affect several other receptor systems, contributing to both therapeutic effects and side effects.

Serotonin transporter: A membrane protein that clears serotonin from the synaptic space by transporting it back into neurons. Blocking this transporter raises serotonin availability, one part of the drugs’ antidepressant action.
Major depressive disorder: A mental disorder marked by persistent low mood or loss of interest, alongside other symptoms and impairment. Treating depression was the original and remains a central use of this medication class.
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor: An antidepressant class that selectively inhibits serotonin reuptake. SSRIs generally have fewer effects on other receptors and are often preferred for tolerability and safety.
Tricyclic antidepressant overdose: A toxic ingestion of tricyclic antidepressants that can cause seizures, low blood pressure, and dangerous cardiac abnormalities. Overdose can progress rapidly, making recognition and urgent treatment essential.
Roland Kuhn: A Swiss psychiatrist who introduced imipramine as an antidepressant in the 1950s. His clinical observations helped establish the first widely used tricyclic antidepressant.
Norepinephrine transporter: A membrane protein that transports norepinephrine from synapses back into nerve cells. Its inhibition increases synaptic norepinephrine and contributes to therapeutic effects.
Neuropathic pain: Pain caused by a lesion or disease affecting the somatosensory nervous system. Some tricyclics relieve certain neuropathic pain conditions, often at lower doses than for depression.
Serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor: An antidepressant class that inhibits serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake, generally with less broad receptor blockade than tricyclics. SNRIs share a major reuptake mechanism while differing in their off-target effects.
Electrocardiography: A recording of the heart’s electrical activity from electrodes placed on the skin. Widened QRS complexes on an ECG can signal serious tricyclic toxicity and guide treatment.
Imipramine: A tricyclic antidepressant historically used for depression and also used to treat childhood bedwetting. Its introduction marked the class’s emergence in psychiatric treatment.

Linked from 12 pages