How can I compare different antidepressants?
This page has tables to help you compare antidepressants by different factors. These are:
- generic name and key characteristics
- type of antidepressant
- length of half-life
- available form
- dietary information
Why might I want to compare antidepressants?
Understanding more about the different antidepressants available may help you talk to your doctor about what’s right for you, including:
- If you’ve experienced problems with a particular type of antidepressant and want to avoid them. For example, if you’ve had problems with tricyclics and would like to change to an SSRI.
- If the drug’s half-life is important to you. For example, if you are concerned about withdrawal effects and would prefer a drug with a longer half-life. If you are taking an MAOI antidepressant, see our information explaining why the half-life means something different for certain MAOIs.
- If you have problems with swallowing, or are unable to take tablets, and need your medication in a different form.
- If you have any dietary restrictions, such as being vegetarian, or if you are allergic or intolerant to some ingredients.
Remember: drugs don’t work the same way for everyone, and it’s important to find a medication that works for you. See our page on receiving the right medication for more information.
Antidepressants by generic name and key characteristics
Each of these drugs may be known by several different names, which we have listed below under the Generic name and Trade names (HK) columns.
| Generic name | Trade names (HK) | Type of antidepressantant | Forms available | Half life | Dietary considerations |
| agomelatine | Valdoxan | other |
|
1–2 hours |
|
| amitriptyline |
Apo-amitriptyline Endep Tripsyl Tripta |
tricyclic |
|
9–25 hours | n/a |
| bupropion |
Contrave Prolonged-Release PMS-Bupropion Wellbutrin |
other |
|
24 hours | n/a |
| citalopram |
Apo-Citalopram Arpolax Auropram Cipram Citaloc Europram Lopraxer PMS-Citalopram Selon Talam |
SSRI |
|
about 36 hours |
|
| clomipramine |
Anafranil Apo-Clomipramine Clomicalm |
tricyclic |
|
12–36 hours | n/a |
| desvenlafaxine | Pristiq | SNRI |
|
11 hours | n/a |
| dothiepin | Vick-Thiaden | tricyclic |
|
20 hours | n/a |
| doxepin |
Apo-Doxepin Sinequan
|
tricyclic |
|
33–80 hours (1.5–3.3 days) |
|
| duloxetine |
Apo-Duloxetine, Cymbalta, Duloxetine Alvogen, Duloxetine Sandoz, PMS-Duloxetine, Sebata |
SNRI |
|
8–17 hours |
|
| escitalopram |
Accord Escitalopram, Apo-Escitalopram, Escitalopram Stada, Escitalopram-Teva, Dexan, Esitalo, Esitapress, Esopam, Lexapro, Neopra, Oxapro, PMS-Escitalopram, Pramokline, Recita, S-Oropram |
SSRI |
|
about 30 hours | n/a |
| fluoxetine |
Altazac, Apo-Fluoxetine, Arozac, Fluotin, CP- Fluoxet, Floxet, Fluoxetine-Teva, Fluxetin, Fluxil, JMP Fluoxetine, Juxac, Kalxetin, Magrilan, Nopres, Norzarex, Oxeflu, PMS-Fluoxetine, Prozac, Sartuzin |
SSRI |
|
96–144 hours (4–6 days) |
|
| flupenthixol | Anfree, Danxipress, Deanxit, Flentixol, Meflupen, Quali-xit, Vick-Flupentixol | Other |
|
19-39 hours | n/a |
| fluvoxamine | Apo-Fluvoxamine, Faverin | SSRI |
|
17–22 hours | n/a |
| imipramine | Apo-Imipramine, Imine | tricyclic |
|
about 19 hours |
|
| mianserin | n/a | tricyclic related |
|
6–39 hours | n/a |
| milnacipran | Ixel | SNRI |
|
12 hours | n/a |
| mirtazapine | Apo-Mirtazapine, Mirastad, Mirnite, Mirta, Mirtapan, Mirtazapine Farmoz, Mirtazapine Sandoz, PMS Mirtazapine, Remeron Soltab, Remirta, Zamir, | other |
|
20–40 hours |
|
| moclobemide | Aurorix |
reversible MAOI |
|
2–4 hours |
|
| nortriptyline | Nortrilen | tricyclic |
|
about 36 hours |
|
| paroxetine |
Apo-Paroxetine, Dropaxin, Parotin, Paroxe, Seroxat, Setine, Xalexa |
SSRI |
|
about 24 hours |
|
| sertraline | Andep, Apo-Sertraline, Aurasert, HC Sertraline, Inosert, PMS-Sertraline, Serdep, Serloft, Setaloft, Sertralina Farmoz, Setrof, Zoloft | SSRI |
|
22–36 hours | n/a |
| trazodone | Apo-Trazodone, Mesyrel, PMS-Trazadone, trazopress, tritcopress, trittico |
tricyclic related |
|
5–13 hours |
|
| trimipramine |
Surmontil tydamine |
tricyclic |
|
about 23 hours |
|
| venlafaxine | Deprevix, efexor, effexine, JMP Venlafaxine, trevilor, valosine, venexor, venlafaxine sandoz, venlafaxine-teva, venlift, venlor, venxor, vexor | SNRI |
|
4–7 hours |
|
| vortioxetine | Brintellix | other |
|
about 66 hours | n/a |
| venlafaxine | Deprevix, efexor, effexine, JMP Venlafaxine, trevilor, valosine, venexor, venlafaxine sandoz, venlafaxine-teva, venlift, venlor, venxor, vexor | SNRI |
|
4–7 hours |
|
| vortioxetine | Brintellix | other |
|
about 66 hours | n/a |
Comparing antidepressants by type
| Type of antidepressant | Drug names |
| SSRIs |
|
| SNRIs |
|
| Tricyclics |
|
| Tricyclic-related drugs |
|
| MAOIs |
|
| others |
|
Comparing antidepressants by half-life
Some MAOIs, known as ‘irreversible MAOIs’, work in a different way to other antidepressants. They cause changes to your brain chemistry which can last for several weeks after you stop taking the medication. This means their effects may last for a few weeks longer than the drug’s biological half life.
| Half-life Drug name | |
| 1–2 hours | agomelatine |
| 2–4 hours | moclobemide |
| 4–7 hours | venlafaxine |
| 5–13 hours | trazodone |
| 6–39 hours | mianserin |
| 8–17 hours | duloxetine |
| 9–25 hours | amitriptyline |
| 11 hours | desvenlafaxine |
| 12 hours | milnacipran |
| 12–36 hours | clomipramine |
| 17–22 hours | fluvoxamine |
| about 19 hours | imipramine |
| 19 -39 hours | flupenthixol |
| 20 hours | dothiepin |
| 20–40 hours | mirtazapine |
| 22–36 hours | sertraline |
| about 23 hours | trimipramine |
| about 24 hours | paroxetine |
| 24 hours | bupropion |
| about 30 hours | escitalopram |
| 33–80 hours (1.5–3.3 days) | doxepin |
| about 36 hours | citalopram |
| about 36 hours | nortriptyline |
| about 66 hours | vortioxetine |
| 96–144 hours (4–6 days) | fluoxetine |
Comparing antidepressants by form available
| Form | Antidepressants available in this form |
|
tablets (includes slow-release tablets) |
|
| capsules |
|
| liquid |
|
| dispersible (dissolving) tablets |
|
Comparing antidepressants by dietary considerations
Certain brands of individual drugs may have other dietary restrictions that aren’t listed in the tables below. If you are concerned about this, you can check the Drug Information Leaflet included in the box with your medication. This will include a full list of your medication’s ingredients.
| Dietary consideration | Drugs this applies to |
|
Contains lactose (this only applies to the tablet or capsule form of the drug, unless specified) |
|
| Contains gelatine |
|
| Requires food restriction |
|
