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StatPearls, LLC

  • Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic
  • Cholinergic Antagonists
  • Norepinephrine
  • Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors
  • Serotonin

Tricyclic Antidepressants

Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) constitute a class of medications used to manage and treat major depressive disorder (MDD). These medications function by inhibiting the reuptake of neurotransmitters, such as serotonin and norepinephrine, which can modulate mood, attention, and pain in individuals. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved different TCAs for specific indications based on clinical trials and proven evidence of their effectiveness and safety for specific medical conditions. Evidence-based guidelines recommend TCAs as a second-line treatment for MDD following selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Although TCAs demonstrate equivocal efficacy with SSRIs when treating MDD, these medications cause more significant adverse effects due to their anticholinergic activity and lower threshold for overdose. Due to these factors, TCAs are typically not considered the first-line treatment for MDD, even though they have been proven highly effective in managing severe or treatment-refractory depression. This activity highlights the mechanism of action, indications, contraindications, adverse event profile, monitoring protocols, relevant interactions, off-label uses, and other pivotal facets of TCA therapy to enhance the competence of interprofessional healthcare team members when caring for patients with MDD and related conditions.

Credit & MOC Details

Credit information is provided by the course provider. We recommend confirming credit eligibility with the provider or your licensing board before starting the activity.

Credit types

AAPA Category 1 Credit™Up to 1.5 creditsAMA PRA Category 1 Credit™Up to 1.5 creditsNursingUp to 1.5 creditsPharmacyUp to 1.5 credits

MOC types

ABS — Accredited CMEUp to 1.5 pointsABPATH — Lifelong LearningUp to 1.5 pointsABA — Lifelong LearningUp to 1.5 pointsABTS — Accredited CMEUp to 1.5 pointsABIM — Medical KnowledgeUp to 1.5 pointsABS — Self-AssessmentUp to 1.5 pointsABP — Lifelong Learning and Self-AssessmentUp to 1.5 pointsABOHNS — Self-AssessmentUp to 1.5 pointsABTS — Self-AssessmentUp to 1.5 points

FDA REMS

No

Qualifies for MIPS

No

Target Specialties

Cross-Specialty

Relevant across 9 specialties.

Pricing

Fee varies

This provider typically $49–98

See fees on statpearls.com

Listed by the provider

  • Article / monograph / reference
  • Credit · Up to 1.5 credits
  • MOC · Up to 1.5 points
  • Fee varies · this provider typically $49–98
  • Released
    Sep 1, 2026
  • Last day to claim credit
    Sep 1, 2029 3 years left

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