Reply to Letter to the Editor "Rapid Onset of Antidepressant Activity With Venlafaxine"

Letter to the Editor

Sir: We are grateful to Drs. Weisler and van Meter for giving us an opportunity to reflect on and respond to their letter regarding our recent article. They presented several examples in the literature of possible "more rapidly acting" antidepressants, some of which we had not specifically addressed in our recent review and critique. They point out that the availability of venlafaxine and mirtazapine, both dual-acting antidepressants, may provide a more rapid response than the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), unlike that seen with the tricyclic antidepressants and monoamine oxidase inhibitors.