Antidepressant Medication Side Effects Like Body Weight, Blood Pressure Changes Range Depending on Medication

• An comprehensive new study determined that the side effects of antidepressants range significantly by drug.
• Certain pharmaceuticals resulted in weight loss, while others led to weight gain.
• Cardiac rhythm and arterial pressure also diverged notably across treatments.
• Those encountering continuing, serious, or concerning side effects must discuss with a healthcare professional.

Latest studies has found that depression drug side effects may be more extensive than previously thought.

The extensive study, published on October 21, examined the impact of antidepressant medications on over 58,000 subjects within the first eight weeks of commencing therapy.

The researchers examined 151 research projects of 30 drugs frequently used to address major depression. Although not all individuals encounters unwanted effects, certain of the most prevalent observed in the study were changes in weight, arterial pressure, and metabolic indicators.

Researchers observed striking differences between antidepressant drugs. For example, an two-month regimen of agomelatine was associated with an mean weight loss of around 2.4 kilos (about 5.3 pounds), while another drug users gained almost 2 kg in the identical period.

Additionally, marked fluctuations in heart function: fluvoxamine was likely to slow cardiac rhythm, while nortriptyline raised it, causing a difference of around 21 beats per minute among the two medications. Blood pressure differed also, with an 11 mmHg variation observed between nortriptyline and doxepin.

Healthcare specialists observed that the investigation's conclusions aren't recent or surprising to psychiatric specialists.

"Clinicians have long recognized that different antidepressant medications range in their impacts on weight, arterial pressure, and additional metabolic parameters," a expert stated.

"However, what is significant about this study is the comprehensive, comparative assessment of these differences across a broad array of bodily measurements using information from in excess of 58,000 individuals," this expert noted.

This research delivers strong proof of the extent of side effects, several of which are more prevalent than different reactions. Frequent antidepressant side effects may encompass:

• stomach problems (sickness, loose stools, blockage)
• sexual dysfunction (lowered desire, inability to orgasm)
• body weight fluctuations (increase or decrease, according to the medication)
• sleep problems (insomnia or sleepiness)
• mouth dryness, sweating, migraine

Meanwhile, less frequent but medically important side effects may include:

• elevations in blood pressure or pulse rate (especially with SNRIs and certain tricyclic antidepressants)
• reduced blood sodium (particularly in older adults, with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and SNRIs)
• increased liver enzymes
• Corrected QT interval prolongation (potential of arrhythmia, particularly with citalopram and certain tricyclics)
• emotional blunting or indifference

"A key factor to note regarding this matter is that there are several different classes of antidepressant medications, which lead to the varying negative medication reactions," another specialist stated.

"Furthermore, antidepressant medications can impact every individual variably, and adverse effects can range according to the exact pharmaceutical, dosage, and individual considerations such as metabolic rate or co-occurring conditions."

While several unwanted effects, including changes in rest, appetite, or energy levels, are reasonably common and commonly enhance with time, other effects may be less frequent or continuing.

Antidepressant unwanted effects may vary in severity, which could require a change in your treatment.

"An change in depression drug may be necessary if the patient suffers persistent or unbearable adverse reactions that fail to enhance with time or supportive care," a specialist said.

"Furthermore, if there is an development of recent medical conditions that may be exacerbated by the current drug, such as high blood pressure, arrhythmia, or substantial weight gain."

Individuals may additionally contemplate speaking with your physician about any deficiency of substantial improvement in depression-related or worry indicators subsequent to an adequate trial period. The appropriate testing period is usually 4–8 weeks' time at a treatment dose.

Patient choice is additionally important. Certain individuals may want to evade particular adverse reactions, including intimacy issues or {weight gain|increased body weight|mass addition