Antidepressant Unwanted Effects Like Weight, BP Variations Differ Depending on Medication

• A comprehensive new investigation determined that the adverse reactions of antidepressant medications differ substantially by drug.
• Some drugs resulted in weight loss, while other medications caused increased body weight.
• Pulse rate and blood pressure also diverged notably among drugs.
• Patients experiencing ongoing, intense, or worrisome side effects should discuss with a physician.

Latest research has revealed that antidepressant medication side effects may be more extensive than once assumed.

This extensive investigation, released on the 21st of October, assessed the effect of depression treatments on more than 58,000 participants within the initial eight weeks of beginning treatment.

These researchers studied 151 studies of 30 pharmaceuticals typically employed to address major depression. While not every patient develops unwanted effects, several of the most common observed in the study were variations in weight, arterial pressure, and metabolic parameters.

There were striking differences between depression treatments. For instance, an eight-week treatment period of one medication was linked to an mean reduction in body weight of about 2.4 kilograms (about 5.3 lbs), whereas another drug patients added nearly 2 kg in the identical period.

Additionally, significant variations in heart function: one antidepressant often would reduce cardiac rhythm, while nortriptyline elevated it, creating a disparity of about 21 heartbeats per minute between the two medications. BP differed as well, with an 11 mmHg variation noted among one drug and another medication.

Clinical experts observed that the study's conclusions are not new or surprising to psychiatrists.

"It has long been understood that various antidepressant medications vary in their impacts on weight, BP, and other metabolic parameters," one expert stated.

"Nonetheless, what is significant about this research is the comprehensive, relative assessment of these variations across a wide spectrum of bodily measurements using findings from in excess of 58,000 subjects," this specialist added.

This investigation delivers strong evidence of the extent of adverse reactions, some of which are more frequent than other effects. Frequent antidepressant side effects may include:

• digestive issues (sickness, diarrhea, blockage)
• sexual problems (reduced sex drive, anorgasmia)
• weight changes (increase or reduction, based on the agent)
• sleep problems (insomnia or sleepiness)
• mouth dryness, sweating, headache

At the same time, less frequent but clinically significant side effects may comprise:

• rises in blood pressure or heart rate (especially with serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors and certain tricyclic antidepressants)
• low sodium (particularly in elderly individuals, with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors)
• liver enzyme elevations
• QTc prolongation (chance of arrhythmia, particularly with one medication and some tricyclics)
• emotional blunting or apathy

"One thing to consider regarding this matter is that there are multiple varying types of depression drugs, which contribute to the different adverse pharmaceutical side effects," another professional explained.

"Moreover, antidepressant drugs can affect each patient variably, and unwanted effects can range based on the exact pharmaceutical, amount, and patient considerations such as metabolic rate or co-occurring conditions."

While certain side effects, like fluctuations in rest, appetite, or energy levels, are fairly common and commonly improve over time, others may be less typical or more persistent.

Antidepressant unwanted effects may vary in seriousness, which could require a modification in your drug.

"An modification in antidepressant medication may be necessary if the patient experiences ongoing or unbearable unwanted effects that do not improve with time or supportive measures," one expert commented.

"Furthermore, if there is an appearance of recently developed medical conditions that may be aggravated by the present medication, such as elevated BP, irregular heartbeat, or significant increased body weight."

You may furthermore think about speaking with your physician regarding any deficiency of meaningful enhancement in depression-related or anxiety symptoms after an sufficient trial period. An appropriate testing period is generally 4–8 weeks' time at a treatment amount.

Personal inclination is additionally significant. Certain individuals may choose to prevent certain adverse reactions, such as sexual problems or {weight gain|increased body weight|mass addition