| Tricyclic antidepressant | |
|---|---|
| Drug class | |
 Chemical structure of the prototypical and first marketed tricyclic antidepressant imipramine showing its three rings. | |
| Class identifiers | |
| Chemical class | Tricyclic |
| External links | |
| MeSH | D000929 |
| Legal status | |
| In Wikidata | |
Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) are a class of medications that are used primarily as antidepressants. TCAs were discovered in the early 1950s and were marketed later in the decade.[1] They are named after their chemical structure, which contains three rings of atoms. Tetracyclic antidepressants (TeCAs), which contain four rings of atoms, are a closely related group of antidepressant compounds.
Although TCAs are sometimes prescribed for depressive disorders, they have been largely replaced in clinical use in most parts of the world by newer antidepressants such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), serotonin–norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (NRIs). Adverse effects have been found to be of a similar level between TCAs and SSRIs.[2]
- ^ Carson VB (2000). Mental health nursing: the nurse-patient journey W.B. Saunders. ISBN 978-0-7216-8053-8. pp. 423
- ^ Trindade E, Menon D, Topfer LA, Coloma C (November 1998). "Adverse effects associated with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and tricyclic antidepressants: a meta-analysis". CMAJ. 159 (10): 1245–1252. PMC 1229819. PMID 9861221.