Ruta Nonacs names the antidepressants that work best for menopausal depression and when to move to hormonal therapies. And for adolescents and young adults, she tells us which birth control pills are least likely to worsen mood.

Repetitive behaviors are part and parcel of the everyday challenges in autism spectrum disorders. The apparent similarly of these behaviors with obsessive compulsive disorders begs for trials of SSRIs such as fluoxetine (Prozac). But does this strategy work with any clear reliability? This research reviews addresses that question, with interesting results that impact everyday practice.

More is not necessarily better in psychopharmacology. Some medications have plateau effect, while others follow a “U-shaped curve,” causing more problems as the dose goes too high. This metaanalysis looked at 77 dose-response trials with antidepressants to quantify their optimal therapeutic window.

A meta-analysis of 25 medications in over 25,000 patients with generalized anxiety disorder. The usual FDA-approved options are there, along with some surprises. Not all are equal, but the most effective of the bunch carries so many side effects that we can only recommend it as a last resort.

Dubbed “California Rocket Fuel” by Stephen Stahl, the combination of venlafaxine and mirtazapine seemed to hit all the right receptors. The hype may have gotten a little ahead of the evidence on this one, however, as three new studies reveal.

Paxil built its reputation as the best SSRI for anxiety, but the data suggests the opposite.

This 2019 retrospective study examines the potential benefits of using buprenorphine/naloxone to treat co-occurring PTSD and opioid use disorder.

The way we taper serotonergic antidepressants may need to be rethought, and this study suggests a new method.

Use this PDF tool to check if the patient is having any SSRI withdrawal symptoms at baseline.

Sexual side effects on SSRIs are so common that psychiatrist David Healy once argued these drugs more reliably lower libido than treat depression. Yet the problem isn’t limited to SSRIs, and it’s not unmanageable.