Tricyclic antidepressant

One of a class of medications used to treat depression. The tricyclic antidepressants are also used for some forms of anxiety, fibromyalgia, and the control of chronic pain. "Tricyclic" refers to the presence of three rings in the chemical structure of these drugs.

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tricyclic antidepressant n 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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see antidepressant

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any of a group of antidepressant drugs that contain three fused rings in their chemical structure and that potentiate the action of catecholamines; the tricyclic antidepressants include a number of compounds, which may be grouped into four classes on the basis of chemical structure: dibenzazepines, dibenzocycloheptadienes, dibenzoxazepines, and dibenzoxepines.