Antidepressant Unwanted Effects Like Body Weight, Blood Pressure Variations Differ Depending on Medication

• An extensive recent research determined that the unwanted effects of antidepressants vary substantially by drug.
• Certain medications resulted in reduced body weight, whereas different drugs caused added mass.
• Pulse rate and arterial pressure additionally differed notably between drugs.
• Patients encountering persistent, severe, or concerning unwanted effects must discuss with a medical provider.

New investigations has discovered that antidepressant medication adverse reactions may be more diverse than once assumed.

The large-scale research, released on the 21st of October, assessed the influence of antidepressant medications on more than 58,000 participants within the initial two months of starting treatment.

The scientists studied 151 investigations of 30 pharmaceuticals typically employed to treat clinical depression. While not everyone develops unwanted effects, certain of the most prevalent recorded in the study were changes in weight, blood pressure, and metabolic markers.

The study revealed significant disparities between depression treatments. As an illustration, an 60-day course of agomelatine was associated with an average decrease in mass of approximately 2.4 kilos (roughly 5.3 lbs), whereas another drug patients gained close to 2 kg in the equivalent duration.

Furthermore, notable variations in heart function: fluvoxamine was likely to slow heart rate, while nortriptyline elevated it, producing a disparity of around 21 beats per minute between the two medications. Arterial pressure fluctuated too, with an 11 mmHg difference observed between nortriptyline and another medication.

Healthcare specialists commented that the research's results are not new or surprising to psychiatric specialists.

"We've long known that distinct depression drugs vary in their impacts on body weight, BP, and additional metabolic measures," one expert explained.

"Nonetheless, what is significant about this study is the thorough, comparison-based assessment of these differences among a extensive spectrum of bodily measurements employing data from in excess of 58,000 individuals," the expert commented.

The research delivers robust proof of the degree of unwanted effects, several of which are more frequent than other effects. Typical antidepressant medication side effects may include:

• digestive issues (nausea, diarrhea, blockage)
• intimacy issues (decreased libido, anorgasmia)
• mass variations (gain or loss, depending on the medication)
• sleep disturbances (inability to sleep or drowsiness)
• mouth dryness, moisture, migraine

At the same time, rarer but clinically significant unwanted effects may comprise:

• elevations in BP or heart rate (especially with serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors and certain tricyclic antidepressants)
• reduced blood sodium (especially in elderly individuals, with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors)
• liver enzyme elevations
• Corrected QT interval lengthening (risk of abnormal heart rhythm, particularly with one medication and certain tricyclics)
• reduced emotions or indifference

"An important point to note here is that there are various distinct categories of depression drugs, which lead to the distinct unwanted medication reactions," another expert stated.

"Moreover, antidepressant drugs can impact every individual differently, and adverse side effects can differ based on the specific pharmaceutical, dose, and personal elements like body chemistry or comorbidities."

Although some unwanted effects, like fluctuations in sleep, hunger, or stamina, are quite typical and often improve with time, different reactions may be less typical or longer-lasting.

Antidepressant medication side effects may vary in seriousness, which could require a adjustment in your drug.

"A change in antidepressant may be necessary if the patient encounters persistent or unbearable side effects that do not improve with passing days or management strategies," a expert commented.

"Moreover, if there is an appearance of recently developed health problems that may be aggravated by the current treatment, for example hypertension, arrhythmia, or substantial increased body weight."

You may furthermore think about talking with your healthcare provider concerning any absence of significant improvement in depressive or anxiety symptoms following an sufficient evaluation duration. An sufficient testing period is typically 4–8 weeks duration at a therapeutic dose.

Individual preference is also important. Some people may want to prevent specific side effects, including intimacy issues or {weight gain|increased body weight|mass addition