Depression Medications

As a Licensed Professional Counselor, I am not able to prescribe medication. My answer is always, "If you don't feel your doctor is treating your condition effectively on your current meds, you need to have a discussion with her/him." To provide an opinion of the kind of medication or herbal supplements I think a client should be on would constitute practicing medicine, which I am prohibited fromj doing. The only health care professionals who should be giving advice on medications are those who are able to prescribe, namely MD and DO physicians, Nurse Practitioners and Psychiatrists. A Physician Assistant can also prescribe some medications under the supervision of a doctor. A Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine could provide advice on herbal supplements to use for specific conditions as well. If you have a question about side effects or effects of combined medication use, a pharmacist is an exellent resource. Other professionals that do NOT prescribe medications include Clinical Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists, Personal Coaches, and Psychologists.

When starting an antidepressant you should always work with a psychiatrist in the same way you would see an oncologist for cancer. Mental illness is specialized, just like podiatry or dentistry.

Some anti-depressant medications interfere with the action of Tamoxifen, therefore inhibiting its effectiveness. This may result in an increased chance of breast cancer recurrence. The following medications for depression are potential options your physician may consider if you are also taking tamoxifen, but make sure to double check the latest research on this issue.
Venlavaxine (Effexor)
Citalopram (Celexa)
Escitalopram (Lexapro)
Sertraline (Zoloft)

This conversation has more details on this issue:
http://talkabouthealth.com/warning-some-depression-medications-inhibit-the-effectiveness-of-tamoxifen-cyp2d6-enzyme-and-depression-medication-caution.