HealthDay reports, “Newer antidepressants seem to be about as effective as one another,” according to a meta-analysis published in the Annals of Internal Medicine and funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. After reviewing “data from 234 previously published studies, all of them randomized trials that had included at least 1,000 participants each,” researchers found that “there was no difference in” effectiveness of medication. However, “there were distinctions in how quickly a drug took effect, side effects and quality of life.”
“In seven studies, Wellbutrin (bupropion) was linked with less sexual dysfunction than Lexapro (escitalopram), Paxil (paroxetine), Prozac (fluoxetine), or Zoloft (sertraline),” WebMD reports.
“Remeron (mirtazapine) was associated with greater weight gain than Celexa (citalopram), Paxil, Prozac, and Zoloft in seven studies,” but Remeron also “worked faster than Celexa, Paxil, Prozac, or Zoloft in seven studies.”