Overview Of Antidepressants

Side Effects to Watch For

All antidepressants can increase the risk of suicidal thoughts, particularly in young adults. For this reason, the medication must have a black box warning on the label. The risk of suicidal thoughts is highest when patients have just started taking the medicine, and patients should report any suicidal thoughts or changes in mood to their doctor right away. In addition to this potential side effect, different types of antidepressants could cause various physical effects. For example, SSRIs and SNRIs could lead to low blood sugar and sodium, and they might also cause sedation, insomnia, weight loss, dry mouth, nausea, and skin rashes. Some patients have reported dizziness, abnormal thinking, and agitation while taking these antidepressants.

Tricyclic antidepressants may cause high blood pressure, and seizures have occurred in some patients who take this drug. Other potential side effects include an irregular heartbeat, abdominal cramps, anxiety, urinary retention, constipation, and increased eye pressure. Patients taking tricyclic antidepressants may need to have their blood pressure, heart rhythm, and eye pressure monitored closely. Like tricyclic antidepressants, monoamine oxidase inhibitors could also produce seizures, high blood pressure, heartbeat irregularities, and anxiety. Patients taking these antidepressants have reported blurred vision, edema, fainting upon standing, and headaches as well. Noradrenaline and specific serotonergic antidepressants could cause weight gain, blurred vision, dry mouth, drowsiness, and constipation, and they have been associated with potentially serious side effects such as seizures and reduced white blood cell counts.

Discover medication interactions with antidepressants next.