Antidepressant Side Effects

Antidepressant side effects are extremely common, and different antidepressant medications produce different reactions. People differ in the type and severity of antidepressant side effect they experience.

About 50 percent of people who take antidepressant medications experience some side effects, particularly during the first weeks of treatment. Side effects that are particularly bothersome can often be treated by changing the dose of the medication, switching to a different medication, or treating the side effect directly with additional medications.

However, as with medications in gernereal, each time an additional medication is used, or stacked, more complications and side effects can happen. Often, patients request to be removed from the mediactions due to the side efects being worse than the depression.

Rarely, serious side effects such as fainting, heart problems, or seizure may occur, and while treatable, need to be considered in your decisons.

Following is a list of the common medications used and the potential antidepressant side effects for each one:

• Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) cause side effects that include dry mouth, constipation, bladder problems, sexual problems, blurred vision, dizziness, drowsiness, skin rash, and weight gain or loss.

• Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs). Individuals taking MAOIs may have to be careful about eating certain smoked, fermented, or pickled foods, drinking certain beverages, or taking some medications because they can cause severe high blood pressure in combination with the medication. A range of other, side effects occur including weight gain, constipation, dry mouth, dizziness, headache, drowsiness, insomnia, and sexual side effects (problems with arousal or satisfaction).

• SSRIs, and SNRIs tend to have fewer and different side effects, such as nausea, nervousness, insomnia, diarrhea, rash, agitation, or sexual side effects (problems with arousal or orgasm).

• Norepinephrine-dopamine reuptake inhibitor (NDRIs) such as Bupropion (wellbutrin)generally causes fewer common side effects than TCAs and MAOIs. Its side effects include restlessness, insomnia, headache or a worsening of preexisting migraine conditions, tremor, dry mouth, agitation, confusion, rapid heartbeat, dizziness, nausea, constipation, menstrual complaints, and rash.

Obviously, the symptoms of each are numerous so it is especially important that you discuss these with your doctor and to let him or her know right away if you do experience any of these.

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