> Anti-depressants, if dosed and chosen properly, have basically no side effects
WTF is that bullshit ?
SSRIs destroy libido and possibly permanently (see r/pssd)
MAOIs have many side effects
NRIs are not effective
NDRIs can cause tinnitus.
Stims are cardiotoxic and usually not prescribed for depression.
TCAs are not an action mechanism and therefore fall in the above categories.
Atypical mechanisms are not better either.
The only ones with low side effects either cause some sedation (mirtazapine, agomelatine) or have dubious effectiveness.
The only one that stands out is moclobemide and maybe bifemelane. The latter is only available in japan. The former has low efficacy.
hence for someone that don't want side effects, only moclobemide make sense, or ultra atypical stuff that has probably low efficacy. One of the only atypical that might be potent is SAM-e but who wants to play with his DNA methylation ?
9 mebc is phototoxic unfortunately as it is very promising otherwise.
edit: it's true though that testosterone is apparently as effective as SSRIs and with less side effects.
What should be said though is that there are some great anxiolytic out there, it's just that no one knows them, e.g opipramol, emoxypine, etifoxine
This is the reason why some people suggest not to listening to any comments. A lot of stuff here are factually incorrect:
1) MAOIs are safe, and Parnate specifically is extremely effective. However, requires a special diet to adhere.
2) Stimulants ARE prescribed very frequently to augment antidepressants in difficult cases, especially in people with serious illness.
3) Moclobemide has every effect of an MAOI in effective dosages, including diet restriction. There are no effective drugs without side effects. Moclobemide is not thought to be particularly effective(mostly because on-label dosage is far too low), there is a reason why it's used infrequently.
4) Etifoxine might be great for some, but it has significant risks of liver injury. There is a reason why Valium is still one of the most common anxiolytics prescribed worldwide.
What should be said though is that there are some great anxiolytic out there, it's just that no one knows them, e.g opipramol, emoxypine, etifoxine