Risks of Antidepressants

Antidepressants have many different side effects, depending on which type you are taking. They can range from acute side effects like headaches or dizziness, to serious  such as arrhythmia or even death.  It is up to the patient to decide if the risks outweigh the benefits in treating the patient. The doctor does consider this himself before prescribing,  but it is the patients responsibility to look into less risky alternatives. Here is a list of side effects for the most common antidepressants.

SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors)
Nausea, diarrhea, weight gain or loss, anxiety, insomnia, headache, sweating, sexual problem (75% experience some kind of sexual difficulties), and bleeding. Serotonin Syndrome is a serious condition that can be fatal. It occurs when there is too much serotonin in the brain, usually due to SSRIs and other antidepressants or certain OTC medications being combined. Symptoms of this are sweating, high fever, high blood pressure, confusion, and shock.


TCAs (Tricyclic Antidepressants)
Dry mouth, blurred vision, dizziness, drowsiness, weight gain, constipation, and arrhythmia. Not prescribed to patients with heart problems or history of heart issues due to high risk of hear attack.


MAOIs ( Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors)
Dizziness, trembling, weight gain, insomnia, and high blood pressure. This medication also affects how the enzyme tyramine is broken down. Therefore, a build up of this enzyme can lead to high blood pressure and be fatal. A low tyramine diet must be followed while taking MAOIs. This includes avoiding foods such as: aged cheeses, cured meats, red wines, soy products, broad beans, and spoiled foods.

What is depression?

Depression is a mood disorder that with “depressed mood” as its main symptom. Clinical depression is classified by two or more weeks of depression symptoms. Physical symptoms include sleep disturbances, loss or increase in appetite, fatigue, and headaches or digestive problems that are not explained by other physical conditions (psychosomatic). Behavioral symptoms would be loss of interest in activities once enjoyed, difficulty concentrating, neglecting responsibilities and personal hygiene, constant “sad” feeling, hopelessness, and thoughts of suicide.  Depression is more commonly diagnosed in women than men, but it is hard to decipher if this difference is due to gender or to the fact that woman are more likely to recognize the symptoms and seek treatment as compared to men. Depression can be brought on by stressful life events, trauma, and even the changing seasons. Biologically, it is caused by the imbalance of the neuro transmitters serotonin, norepenephrine, and dopamine. These neurotransmitters are the chemicals released by the hypothalamus (a part of the brain that regulates  stress, sleep, body temperature, appetite, and sex drive).