SDRI - Selective Dopamine Reuptake Inhibitor
Also referred to as a Dopamine Reuptake Inhibitor (DRI) Also referred to as a Dopamine Reuptake Inhibitor (DARI) Also referred to as a Dopamine Transporter Inhibitor (DTI)
Please note: Dosage equivalents are provided for certain drugs below and are denoted as unit equivalents, i.e. one unit of drug x is roughly the equivalent as one unit of drug y, where the dosage equal to one unit varies.
SDRI drugs work by depressing the brains ability to re-uptake and destroy the monoamine neurotransmitter dopamine, in turn causing the levels of said neurotransmitter to rise which is thought to be the mechanism by which these drugs exert their effects upon the individual.
Amineptine
Please note: Amineptine is often referred to as an SDRI antidepressant but is in fact an SNaDRI antidepressant; although it primarily inhibits the reuptake of the monoamine neurotransmitter dopamine, it also has the same effect on the monoamine neurotransmitter noradrenaline at high doses.
Amineptine is in fact a tricyclic antidepressant, but can also be classified as an SNaDRI as it essentially leaves serotonin alone and has an atypical side effect profile as far as tricyclics go. It primarily inhibits the reuptake of dopamine and to a lesser extent noradrenaline as well; at higher doses it even promotes the release of dopamine. It exerts a particularly powerful and fast acting antidepressant effect on the patient concerned and acts as a stimulant, making it particularly suitable for melancholic depressive states. Due to its mode of action, amineptine was also useful in treating Parkinson's Disease.
It was introduced in 1978 and fast gained a bad reputation; although its beneficial properties are marked, it has a high capacity for abuse. Although the antidepressive effect took about a week to take hold when first started, the stimulant effect works pretty much out of the box. Although the risk of addiction is low, it is nevertheless present; women seem to be more susceptible than men.
As a result of this capacity for abuse, the drug was suspended in many countries in 1999 and largely ceased production worldwide in 2005, having gone out of patent; as a result, the medication is hard to obtain. Common side effects include sexual stimulation and an increased quality of sleep, which is odd seeing as the drug is stimulant.
Methylphenidate
A prescription stimulant, this drug is famously known as Ritalin®; it is not primarily an antidepressant but can be used to combat depressive illnesses. It is typically used to combat ADHD but is also commonly used to fight traumatic brain damage, narcolepsy and chronic fatigue syndrome.
Methylphenidate was patented in 1954 and at the time of writing is primarily prescribed for children (roughly three quarters of prescriptions are for minors). It is the most commonly prescribed drug for ADHD. The drug causes patients to calm down and focus, essentially redistributing ones energy into more productive facets; as such, it has the capacity to be abused.
Common side effects include insomnia, nervousness, irritability, loss of appetite, nausea, headaches, dizziness, stomach aches, a dry mouth, tremor and drowsiness.
Nomifensine
A stimulating drug, nomifensine was discovered as an antidepressant in the 1970s; it was also found to have anxiolytic effects. Interestingly, its side effects profile is extremely low - no withdrawal symptoms were experienced by patients after six months of therapy and the drug was found not to interact with alcohol to any significant extent.
Sadly, the drug was found to have a capacity for abuse due to its stimulating effects and as a result is not used all that much nowadays. It was also determined that the drug is potentially addictive, especially in high doses (400mg to 600mg a day). It is typically currently used as a research drug.