Antidepressant therapy: benefits and risks in perspective.

The introduction of second generation antidepressants, such as mianserin and nomifensine, was prompted by the desire to produce drugs which were safer, had fewer side-effects and were faster acting than the tricyclics. A brief review of the data on mianserin and nomifensine is presented in relation to these aims. Some advantages for the new drugs can be claimed and the risks of severe adverse effects relating to blood dyscrasias in the case of mianserin, and fever in the case of nomifensine, appear outweighed by the therapeutic gains.