Side Effects of Antidepressant

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Antidepressant side effects can differ based on the type of antidepressant you take.

As with all drugs some people react badly to antidepressants, whilst side effects can seem quite mild in others. The irony here of course is that, helpful as antidepressants may be for some people at some times, these side effects can be very depressing in themselves.

Finding the right antidepressant and the right dosage is very important, and you will need to work with your doctor on this. The newer antidepressants have different types of side effects.

Some common side effects of antidepressant include:

• Nausea
• Sweating
• Problems sleeping or drowsiness
• Vomiting
• Dry mouth
• Diarrhea or constipation
• Irritability/anxiety
• Difficulty passing urine
• Sexual problems
• Gastrointestinal disturbance/diarrhea
• Dizziness or light-headedness
• Weight changes
• Abdominal pain

Some of the more serious side-effects of antidepressant include:

• Body temperature changes
• Difficulty in breathing
• Increased heart beat

If you experience any unusual symptoms or are concerned about side effects in anyway, it is important that you discuss this with your doctor or consult a pharmacist for advice. Usually these will not be anything to worry about, but best to be sure.

Inhibition of P450 enzyme by antidepressant drugs
	CYP 1A2	CYP 2D6	CYP 2C9	CYP 2C19	CYP 3A/4
Inhibitors	Fluvoxamine (+++)	Fluoxetine (+++) Paroxetine (+++ Sertraline (+) )	Fluoxetine (+++) Fluvoxamine (+++)	Fluvoxamine (+++) Fluoxetine (++) Venlafaxine (+)	Nefazodone (++) Fluvoxamine (+) Fluoxetine (+)
Some substrates (plasma level increased)	Olanzapine Clozapine Haloperidol Tricyclic antidepressants Theophylline	Tricyclic antidepressants Nefazodone Venlafaxine Haloperidol Thioridazine Risperidone Clozapine Olanzapine	Warfarin Tolbutamide Phenytoin	Tricyclic antidepressants Diazepam Propranolol Omeprazole	Terfenadine Astemizole Cisapride Benzodiazepines Carbamazepine Quetiapine Clozapine
Inhibition: +++, strong; ++, modest; +, mild.

 

St John Wort (hypericum) has been shown to be as effective as antidepressants, and have fewer side effects.