Antidepressant brand and generic names
These examples cover several major antidepressant classes. The class is a useful organizing label, but drugs in the same class are still separate medicines with distinct names.
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
| Brand name | Generic name | Class or type |
|---|---|---|
| Celexa | citalopram | SSRIs |
| Lexapro | escitalopram | SSRIs |
| Prozac | fluoxetine | SSRIs |
| Paxil | paroxetine | SSRIs |
| Zoloft | sertraline | SSRIs |
| Luvox CR | fluvoxamine maleate | SSRIs |
Serotonin–norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs)
| Brand name | Generic name | Class or type |
|---|---|---|
| Cymbalta | duloxetine | SNRIs |
| Effexor | venlafaxine | SNRIs |
| Pristiq | desvenlafaxine | SNRIs |
Tricyclic antidepressants
| Brand name | Generic name | Class or type |
|---|---|---|
| Elavil | amitriptyline | Tricyclic antidepressants |
| Pamelor | nortriptyline | Tricyclic antidepressants |
Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs)
| Brand name | Generic name | Class or type |
|---|---|---|
| Nardil | phenelzine | MAOIs |
| Parnate | tranylcypromine | MAOIs |
Other antidepressants
| Brand name | Generic name | Class or type |
|---|---|---|
| Wellbutrin | bupropion | Antidepressants |
| Remeron | mirtazapine | Antidepressants |
| Desyrel | trazodone | Antidepressants |
Understanding antidepressant classes
SSRIs and SNRIs have similar abbreviations, so expand them before memorizing the initials. SSRI stands for selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor. SNRI stands for serotonin–norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor. The extra N is a useful distinction when sorting the names.
Tricyclic antidepressants form another family; amitriptyline and nortriptyline are two examples. MAOI means monoamine oxidase inhibitor and includes phenelzine and tranylcypromine. The class name is not a suffix that you can reliably read from every generic.
The “other antidepressants” table is a practical study grouping, not a claim that bupropion, mirtazapine, and trazodone share one mechanism. Learn their pairs separately rather than forcing them into the SSRI or SNRI family.
Drug class and approved indication are also different facts. A drug can belong to the SSRI class while a particular US product is labeled for another condition; Luvox CR is an example associated with obsessive-compulsive disorder. A class list does not mean every listed brand has identical approved uses.
Naming patterns and memory tips
Unlike statins, antidepressants do not share one useful ending across the entire category. Learn small clusters: the citalopram/escitalopram pair, the venlafaxine/desvenlafaxine pair, and the amitriptyline/nortriptyline pair.
Use three columns during practice: brand, generic, and class. Given Cymbalta, aim to recall both duloxetine and SNRI. Given sertraline, aim to recall Zoloft and SSRI. Getting the brand correct but the class wrong identifies a different gap than forgetting the pair entirely.
Start with one or two examples from each family before expanding the list. This builds an outline in memory: Zoloft—sertraline—SSRI; Cymbalta—duloxetine—SNRI; Pamelor—nortriptyline—tricyclic; Nardil—phenelzine—MAOI.
Commonly confused antidepressant names
Celexa and Lexapro
Celexa pairs with citalopram; Lexapro pairs with escitalopram. Keep the initial es- visible when you write escitalopram. It distinguishes two generic names, not two spellings of the same name.
Effexor and Pristiq
Effexor pairs with venlafaxine, while Pristiq pairs with desvenlafaxine. Study the extra des- together with the different brand. Do not shorten both answers to venlafaxine.
Antidepressants and other psychiatric categories
A psychiatric drug list may place antidepressants beside antipsychotics, anxiolytics, and antimanic agents. That proximity does not merge the categories. For example, Abilify—aripiprazole is an atypical antipsychotic; it should not be filed under SSRIs simply because it appears in related coursework.