Tricyclic Antidepressants – Test Prep and Practice Pearls

Welcome to today’s episode on the tricyclic antidepressants, commonly known as TCAs — one of the foundational medication classes in psychopharmacology. Although newer antidepressants like SSRIs often dominate modern prescribing, TCAs remain highly relevant in clinical practice because of their effectiveness in treatment-resistant depression, chronic pain syndromes, migraine prevention, insomnia, and certain anxiety disorders. In this episode, we’ll break down the pharmacology behind these medications, discuss how tertiary amines differ from secondary amines, review major adverse effects and drug interactions, and highlight the key clinical pearls that healthcare professionals and students need to know. Whether you’re a medical, pharmacy, nursing, or PA student preparing for exams, or a practicing clinician looking for a practical refresher, this episode will give you a solid framework for understanding this classic but still clinically important medication class.

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SSRIs Test Prep and Practice Pearls – Part 2

SSRI adverse effects are critical to know. In part 2 of this 2-part series on SSRIs, we cover the most important adverse effects to know, in addition to putting a nice bow on the most important clinical practice pearls on each SSRI. Enjoy the show!

Be sure to check out our free Top 200 study guide – a 31 page PDF that is yours for FREE!

Support The Podcast and Check Out These Amazing Resources!

NAPLEX Study Materials

BCPS Study Materials

BCACP Study Materials

BCGP Study Materials

BCMTMS Study Materials

Meded101 Guide to Nursing Pharmacology (Amazon Highly Rated)

Guide to Drug Food Interactions (Amazon Best Seller)

Pharmacy Technician Study Guide by Meded101

Paroxetine Pharmacology

Paroxetine (Paxil) is an SSRI that can be used in the management of depression. I discuss more on paroxetine pharmacology in this episode.

Because paroxetine has some modest anticholinergic effects, it does show up on the Beers list as a potentially inappropriate medication.

By inhibiting CYP2D6, paroxetine can have numerous drug interactions. Drugs like atomoxetine, aripiprazole, and metoclopramide can all have their concentrations increased.

Tamoxifen is activated by CYP2D6 and paroxetine can ultimately reduce the effectiveness of the medication.

I discuss important drug interactions on the podcast, be sure to check out my latest project which is a 200+ page book on managing drug interactions in primary care.

Be sure to check out our free Top 200 study guide – a 31 page PDF that is yours for FREE!