Antidepressant Medication Side Effects Including Weight, Blood Pressure Variations Differ by Drug

• A extensive new investigation found that the adverse reactions of antidepressants vary considerably by drug.
• Certain drugs led to reduced body weight, while other medications led to weight gain.
• Heart rate and arterial pressure also differed significantly across drugs.
• Patients encountering ongoing, severe, or troubling unwanted effects must speak with a medical provider.

New studies has found that antidepressant unwanted effects may be more varied than once assumed.

This comprehensive research, published on October 21st, examined the impact of depression treatments on over 58,000 individuals within the initial 60 days of starting medication.

The researchers studied 151 investigations of 30 pharmaceuticals frequently used to address clinical depression. While not every patient encounters adverse reactions, several of the most common recorded in the investigation were changes in body weight, blood pressure, and metabolic parameters.

The study revealed significant disparities among antidepressant drugs. As an illustration, an 60-day course of agomelatine was connected with an typical decrease in mass of around 2.4 kg (roughly 5.3 lbs), whereas another drug patients added almost 2 kg in the same period.

Furthermore, notable changes in heart function: one antidepressant tended to decrease heart rate, in contrast another medication increased it, creating a gap of around 21 heartbeats per minute across the two drugs. Blood pressure fluctuated as well, with an 11 mmHg difference noted across nortriptyline and doxepin.

Medical experts observed that the investigation's findings are not recent or surprising to psychiatrists.

"It has long been understood that different antidepressants range in their influences on body weight, arterial pressure, and additional metabolic measures," one specialist stated.

"However, what is notable about this research is the comprehensive, comparative quantification of these disparities throughout a extensive range of physical indicators employing data from over 58,000 individuals," this specialist noted.

The research provides strong support of the degree of adverse reactions, certain of which are more common than other effects. Typical depression drug adverse reactions may include:

• stomach problems (sickness, loose stools, blockage)
• intimacy issues (reduced sex drive, orgasmic dysfunction)
• body weight fluctuations (gain or reduction, according to the drug)
• sleep problems (insomnia or sedation)
• oral dehydration, sweating, headache

Meanwhile, rarer but medically important side effects may comprise:

• increases in arterial pressure or cardiac rhythm (notably with serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors and certain tricyclics)
• reduced blood sodium (notably in senior patients, with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors)
• elevated hepatic parameters
• QTc extension (chance of irregular heartbeat, particularly with one medication and some tricyclic antidepressants)
• emotional blunting or apathy

"A key factor to note in this context is that there are various distinct categories of depression drugs, which contribute to the different adverse medication effects," a different expert stated.

"Furthermore, depression treatments can influence every individual distinctly, and negative reactions can differ based on the specific pharmaceutical, dose, and individual elements including metabolism or simultaneous health issues."

While some adverse reactions, like changes in sleep, hunger, or vitality, are reasonably common and frequently improve over time, other effects may be less common or more persistent.

Antidepressant medication side effects may differ in severity, which could justify a modification in your treatment.

"An adjustment in antidepressant may be necessary if the person suffers continuing or unacceptable side effects that fail to enhance with duration or supportive care," a expert stated.

"Moreover, if there is an appearance of new medical conditions that may be worsened by the current drug, for instance elevated BP, irregular heartbeat, or significant mass addition."

You may also contemplate speaking with your healthcare provider concerning any absence of significant improvement in depressive or worry indicators after an sufficient evaluation duration. The appropriate evaluation duration is typically 4–8 weeks' time at a therapeutic dose.

Patient preference is furthermore significant. Some patients may choose to evade particular unwanted effects, like intimacy issues or {weight gain|increased body weight|mass addition