Main content

Antidepressiva

Use this tool to compare antidepressants and their side effects

Here it is finally: Our antidepressant selection tool, based on the side effect profile. The way you can choose is based on these 10 points:
  1.  'Antidepressants' are prescribed for anxiety, trauma, obsessions/compulsions, psychosis, pain, bedwetting - and also for depression;
  2.  Each person reacts differently to the different antidepressants – so it's impossible to predict whether it will work for you;
  3. Differences in side effects are more consistent. So if you want to choose an antidepressant, it's better to do it based on the side effects;
  4.  The evidence of the effectiveness of antidepressants is not very strong and we don't know how they work;
  5. If they work, it's partly due to the large 'placebo' effect they represent;
  6. About 1 in 10 actually benefits - but who is unpredictable.
  7. One problem with antidepressants is that doctors put people on them, but are not trained to help people discontinue their medication;
  8. Long-term use of antidepressants can disrupt the brain. This manifests as withdrawal symptoms when people try to quit.
  9. Withdrawal is often wrongly diagnosed as "relapse of the disease".
  10. The antidepressants paroxetine (Seroxat) and venlafaxine (Efexor) have a particularly high risk of withdrawal when stopping the medication. We therefore advise against them.
 

Which medications do you want to compare?

Choose your medication

Make your choice here

Select 2 Antidepressants

What are antidepressants?

Antidepressants are a group of drugs that affect chemical messengers in the brain. Research shows that some people can benefit from this in the context of anxiety, depression, trauma, compulsion, psychosis, pain, bedwetting and other problems. Antidepressants are majorly prescribed to women. In some geographical areas, more than 10% of adults are prescribed an antidepressant. The question is what this means and whether they are overprescribed, especially by general practitioners. While antidepressants can really make a difference in some people, they are generally not very effective while causing many side effects. It is impossible to predict who will have a good response to a drug. A problem with antidepressants is that doctors easily put people on an antidepressant, but lack skills and knowledge on how to get people off (de-prescribing). As a result, patients often remain on a drug for decades. This may change the brain causing people being unable to stop because of the occurrence of severe withdrawal symptoms when they try to discontinue their meds. In practice, most GPs have little knowledge and experience in the field of antidepressants. Psychologists also often prescribe an antidepressant via the general practitioner – but they too have too little knowledge and experience. Drugs such as paroxetine (seroxat) and venlafaxine (efexor) are particularly associated with withdrawal symptoms when people want to stop. We therefore advise against using these medications. Bottom line: Antidepressants can certainly help sometimes, but be critical before accepting an antidepressant, especially with your GP/psychologist.
Up to 3

Select at least 2 antidepressant.

Kies minstens 2 antidepressiva.

What are antidepressants?

Antidepressants are a group of drugs that affect chemical messengers in the brain. Research shows that some people can benefit from this in the context of anxiety, depression, trauma, compulsion, psychosis, pain, bedwetting and other problems.

Antidepressants are majorly prescribed to women. In some geographical areas, more than 10% of adults are prescribed an antidepressant. The question is what this means and whether they are overprescribed, especially by general practitioners.

While antidepressants can really make a difference in some people, they are generally not very effective while causing many side effects.

It is impossible to predict who will have a good response to a drug.

A problem with antidepressants is that doctors easily put people on an antidepressant, but lack skills and knowledge on how to get people off (de-prescribing). As a result, patients often remain on a drug for decades. This may change the brain causing people being unable to stop because of the occurrence of severe withdrawal symptoms when they try to discontinue their meds.

In practice, most GPs have little knowledge and experience in the field of antidepressants. Psychologists also often prescribe an antidepressant via the general practitioner – but they too have too little knowledge and experience.

Drugs such as paroxetine (seroxat) and venlafaxine (efexor) are particularly associated with withdrawal symptoms when people want to stop. We therefore advise against using these medications.

Bottom line: Antidepressants can certainly help sometimes, but be critical before accepting an antidepressant, especially with your GP/psychologist.

You compare

  • Agomelatine (Valdoxan) (AGO)
  • Amitriptyline (Tryptizol) (AMI)
  • Buproprion (Wellbutrin) (BUP)
  • Citalopram (Cipramil) (CIT)
  • Clomipramine (CLO)
  • Dosulepine (Prothiaden) (DOS)
  • Duloxetine (Cymbalta) (DUL)
  • Escitalopram (Lexapro) (ESC)
  • Esketamine (Spravato) (ESK)
  • Fluoxetine (Prozac) (PRO)
  • Fluvoxamine (Fevarin) (FLU)
  • Imipramine (IMI)
  • Maprotiline (MAP)
  • Mianserine (MIA)
  • Mirtazapine (Remeron) (MIR)
  • Moclobemide (Aurorix) (MOC)
  • Nardil (Fenelzine) (NAR)
  • Nortriptyline (Nortrilen) (NOR)
  • Paroxetine (Seroxat) (PAR)
  • Sertraline (Zoloft) (SER)
  • Tracydal (tranylcypromine) (TRA)
  • Trazodon (Trazolan) (TR2)
  • Venlafaxine (Efexor) (VEN)
  • Vortioxetine (Brintellix) (VOR)
  • High : affects more than 30 in 100 people
  • Moderate : affects 10 to 30 in 100 people
  • Low : affects 1 to 10 in 100 people
  • No side effects

Agomelatine (Valdoxan) (AGO)

  • Headache

    Headache or Migraine

  • Fear

  • Dizziness

  • Weight gain

    Body weight gain, appetite increased

  • Liver problems

    Such as change in liver enzyme value, impaired liver function, liver inflammation, hepatic insufficiency jaundice, bile congestion or intra hepatic cholestasis

Amitriptyline (Tryptizol) (AMI)

  • Aggression / Irritation

  • Dizziness

  • Dry mouth

  • Weight gain

    Body weight gain, appetite increased

  • Headache

    Headache or Migraine

Buproprion (Wellbutrin) (BUP)

  • Dry mouth

  • Headache

    Headache or Migraine

  • Stomach complaints / Intestinal complaints

  • Sleep disturbances

  • General bodily weakness

Citalopram (Cipramil) (CIT)

  • Dry mouth

  • Headache

    Headache or Migraine

  • Stomach complaints / Intestinal complaints

  • Excessive sweating

  • Sleep disturbances

Clomipramine (CLO)

  • Dizziness

  • Dry mouth

  • Weight gain

    Body weight gain, appetite increased

  • Headache

    Headache or Migraine

  • Stomach complaints / Intestinal complaints

Dosulepine (Prothiaden) (DOS)

  • Dizziness

  • Dry mouth

  • Problems urinating

    Such as frequent urination during the day and/or night, sudden lack of control over urination during the day and/or night, inability to urinate, bedwetting or difficulty urinating, residual urine in the bladder due to impaired bladder emptying ( urinary retention)

  • Drowsiness / feeling sleepy

  • Stomach complaints / Intestinal complaints

Duloxetine (Cymbalta) (DUL)

  • Dry mouth

  • Headache

    Headache or Migraine

  • Stomach complaints / Intestinal complaints

  • Drowsiness / feeling sleepy

  • Allegic reaction

    Hypersensitivity reactions of the skin, itching, eczema, hives, inflammation of the skin, rash, hives, anaphylactic reaction, skin rash with severe itching and bump formation, allergic reactions which can be serious resulting in swelling of the face, lips, tongue or throat, difficulty with breathing or swallowing and or sudden drop in blood pressure (making you feel dizzy or light-headed), fatal progressive necrotic hepatocellular damage, itching all over the body, skin rash with blisters, skin rash with red spots, swelling or fluid buildup, fluid buildup in the face and bruising, sudden accumulation of fluid in the skin and mucous membranes (e.g. throat or tongue), difficulty breathing and/or itching and rash, often as an allergic reaction (angioedema)

Escitalopram (Lexapro) (ESC)

  • Headache

    Headache or Migraine

  • Stomach complaints / Intestinal complaints

  • Fear

  • Dizziness

  • Dry mouth

Esketamine (Spravato) (ESK)

  • Dissociation

    Experiencing yourself or the world around you differently than usual

  • Dizziness

  • High blood pressure

  • Headache

    Headache or Migraine

  • Hypoesthesia

    Less sensitive skin

Fluoxetine (Prozac) (PRO)

  • Headache

    Headache or Migraine

  • Stomach complaints / Intestinal complaints

  • Sleep disturbances

  • Fatigue

  • Attention / Memory / Concentration problems

Fluvoxamine (Fevarin) (FLU)

  • Fear

  • Dry mouth

  • Weight Loss

  • Stomach complaints / Intestinal complaints

  • Restlessness / Agitation

Imipramine (IMI)

  • Dry mouth

  • Drowsiness / feeling sleepy

  • Weight gain

    Body weight gain, appetite increased

  • Headache

    Headache or Migraine

  • Problems urinating

    Such as frequent urination during the day and/or night, sudden lack of control over urination during the day and/or night, inability to urinate, bedwetting or difficulty urinating, residual urine in the bladder due to impaired bladder emptying ( urinary retention)

Maprotiline (MAP)

  • Muscle twitches

  • Dizziness

  • Dry mouth

  • Headache

    Headache or Migraine

  • Fatigue

Mianserine (MIA)

  • Weight gain

    Body weight gain, appetite increased

  • Liver problems

    Such as change in liver enzyme value, impaired liver function, liver inflammation, hepatic insufficiency jaundice, bile congestion or intra hepatic cholestasis

  • Drowsiness / feeling sleepy

  • Allegic reaction

    Hypersensitivity reactions of the skin, itching, eczema, hives, inflammation of the skin, rash, hives, anaphylactic reaction, skin rash with severe itching and bump formation, allergic reactions which can be serious resulting in swelling of the face, lips, tongue or throat, difficulty with breathing or swallowing and or sudden drop in blood pressure (making you feel dizzy or light-headed), fatal progressive necrotic hepatocellular damage, itching all over the body, skin rash with blisters, skin rash with red spots, swelling or fluid buildup, fluid buildup in the face and bruising, sudden accumulation of fluid in the skin and mucous membranes (e.g. throat or tongue), difficulty breathing and/or itching and rash, often as an allergic reaction (angioedema)

Mirtazapine (Remeron) (MIR)

  • Dry mouth

  • Headache

    Headache or Migraine

  • Stomach complaints / Intestinal complaints

  • Sleep disturbances

  • General bodily weakness

Moclobemide (Aurorix) (MOC)

  • Dizziness

  • Dry mouth

  • Headache

    Headache or Migraine

  • Stomach complaints / Intestinal complaints

  • Sleep disturbances

Nardil (Fenelzine) (NAR)

  • Low Blood Pressure / Fainting

    Low blood pressure, even when standing up

  • Drowsiness / feeling sleepy

  • Headache

    Headache or Migraine

  • Stomach complaints / Intestinal complaints

  • Dry mouth

Nortriptyline (Nortrilen) (NOR)

  • Dizziness

  • Dry mouth

  • Headache

    Headache or Migraine

  • Stomach complaints / Intestinal complaints

  • Irregular, hard or fast heartbeat

Paroxetine (Seroxat) (PAR)

  • Sexual problems

    For example, a decreased or increased sex drive, lack of orgasm, potency disorders, erectile dysfunction, delayed ejaculation or no ejaculation in men

  • Stomach complaints / Intestinal complaints

  • Dry mouth

  • Drowsiness / feeling sleepy

  • Blurred vision

Sertraline (Zoloft) (SER)

  • Sexual problems

    For example, a decreased or increased sex drive, lack of orgasm, potency disorders, erectile dysfunction, delayed ejaculation or no ejaculation in men

  • Dizziness

  • Dry mouth

  • Headache

    Headache or Migraine

  • Stomach complaints / Intestinal complaints

Tracydal (tranylcypromine) (TRA)

  • Low Blood Pressure / Fainting

    Low blood pressure, even when standing up

  • Sleep disturbances

  • Headache

    Headache or Migraine

  • General bodily weakness

  • Fear

Trazodon (Trazolan) (TR2)

  • Dizziness

  • Dry mouth

  • Restlessness / Agitation

  • Drowsiness / feeling sleepy

  • Bruising / Bleeding Tendencies

    Excessive or unexplained bleeding, such as bruising, nosebleed, gastrointestinal bleeding, vaginal bleeding or heavy vaginal bleeding shortly after birth (postpartum bleeding), blood abnormalities (deficiency of platelets) accompanied by bruising and a tendency to bleed (thrombocytopenia) or bleeding from the skin or mucous membranes (ecchymosis)

Venlafaxine (Efexor) (VEN)

  • Dizziness

  • Dry mouth

  • Headache

    Headache or Migraine

  • Stomach complaints / Intestinal complaints

  • Excessive sweating

Vortioxetine (Brintellix) (VOR)

  • Stomach complaints / Intestinal complaints

  • Sleep disturbances

  • Dizziness

  • Allegic reaction

    Hypersensitivity reactions of the skin, itching, eczema, hives, inflammation of the skin, rash, hives, anaphylactic reaction, skin rash with severe itching and bump formation, allergic reactions which can be serious resulting in swelling of the face, lips, tongue or throat, difficulty with breathing or swallowing and or sudden drop in blood pressure (making you feel dizzy or light-headed), fatal progressive necrotic hepatocellular damage, itching all over the body, skin rash with blisters, skin rash with red spots, swelling or fluid buildup, fluid buildup in the face and bruising, sudden accumulation of fluid in the skin and mucous membranes (e.g. throat or tongue), difficulty breathing and/or itching and rash, often as an allergic reaction (angioedema)

Compare again All side effects

All side-effects

What are side effects?

You get antidepressants to feel better. But often the medications cause new complaints. These are side effects. Some side effects do not bother you much, others are so annoying that they limit your life. Many antidepressants cause serious side-effects in the beginning, including mental symptoms such as anxiety, nervousness, sleeping problems and agitation. These often go away after a few weeks. But if the symptoms persist for longer, you should consider stopping with the practitioner. It will take a few weeks before you know if the antidepressant is working for you. Unfortunately, you do suffer from the side effects, sometimes considerably. Fortunately, some side effects go away on their own after a while. Discuss your complaints and concerns with your doctor, so you can look for a solution together.
  • Agomelatine (Valdoxan) (AGO)
  • Amitriptyline (Tryptizol) (AMI)
  • Buproprion (Wellbutrin) (BUP)
  • Citalopram (Cipramil) (CIT)
  • Clomipramine (CLO)
  • Dosulepine (Prothiaden) (DOS)
  • Duloxetine (Cymbalta) (DUL)
  • Escitalopram (Lexapro) (ESC)
  • Esketamine (Spravato) (ESK)
  • Fluoxetine (Prozac) (PRO)
  • Fluvoxamine (Fevarin) (FLU)
  • Imipramine (IMI)
  • Maprotiline (MAP)
  • Mianserine (MIA)
  • Mirtazapine (Remeron) (MIR)
  • Moclobemide (Aurorix) (MOC)
  • Nardil (Fenelzine) (NAR)
  • Nortriptyline (Nortrilen) (NOR)
  • Paroxetine (Seroxat) (PAR)
  • Sertraline (Zoloft) (SER)
  • Tracydal (tranylcypromine) (TRA)
  • Trazodon (Trazolan) (TR2)
  • Venlafaxine (Efexor) (VEN)
  • Vortioxetine (Brintellix) (VOR)
  • High : affects more than 30 in 100 people
  • Moderate : affects 10 to 30 in 100 people
  • Low : affects 1 to 10 in 100 people
  • No side effects
  • AGO AMI BUP CIT CLO DOS DUL ESC ESK PRO FLU IMI MAP MIA MIR MOC NAR NOR PAR SER TRA TR2 VEN VOR

What are side-effects?

You get antidepressants to feel better. But often the medications cause new complaints. These are side effects. Some side effects do not bother you much, others are so annoying that they limit your life.

Many antidepressants cause serious side-effects in the beginning, including mental symptoms such as anxiety, nervousness, sleeping problems and agitation. These often go away after a few weeks. But if the symptoms persist for longer, you should consider stopping with the practitioner.

It will take a few weeks before you know if the antidepressant is working for you. Unfortunately, you do suffer from the side effects, sometimes considerably. Fortunately, some side effects go away on their own after a while.

Discuss your complaints and concerns with your doctor, so you can look for a solution together.

Compare again