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tricyclic antidepressant

noun
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Definition of tricyclic antidepressant

: any of a group of antidepressant drugs (such as imipramine and amitriptyline) that contain three fused benzene rings, potentiate the action of catecholamines (such as norepinephrine and serotonin) by inhibiting their uptake by nerve endings, and do not inhibit the action of monoamine oxidase

— called also tricyclic

Examples of tricyclic antidepressant in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web There are a lot of options out there, including beta blockers (which reduce your blood pressure) and tricyclic antidepressants (these affect your levels of serotonin and other brain chemicals). — Korin Miller, SELF, "Is It True That the Weather Can Cause a Migraine?," 3 Aug. 2018 These include prescription antihistamines, OTC antihistamines, tricyclic antidepressants, some heartburn medications, and certain asthma drugs. — Korin Miller, SELF, "Here’s Exactly What to Expect If You Need Allergy Testing," 5 Sep. 2018 Possible treatments include blood pressure drugs like beta-blockers; anticonvulsant agents like topirimate (Topamax); and tricyclic antidepressants like imipramine (Tofranil). — Jane E. Brody, New York Times, "Giving Migraine Treatments the Best Chance," 18 Sep. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'tricyclic antidepressant.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of tricyclic antidepressant

1966, in the meaning defined above

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The first known use of tricyclic antidepressant was in 1966

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More Definitions for tricyclic antidepressant

tricyclic antidepressant

noun

Medical Definition of tricyclic antidepressant

: any of a group of antidepressant drugs (as imipramine, amitriptyline, desipramine, and nortriptyline) that contain three fused benzene rings, that potentiate the action of catecholamines (as norepinephrine and serotonin) by inhibiting their uptake by nerve endings, and that do not inhibit the action of monoamine oxidase

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