For people taking antidepressant medications, the summer heat can feel even more exhausting than others. When temperatures rise to 40 degrees Celsius (104 F) and above – as we have already seen this year in the northern hemisphere – It can affect the way such medicines work, causing extra stress on our body.
“Some antidepressant medications…can affect the way the body regulates temperature [and] Sweating,” said Victoria Tzortzio Brown, president of the British Royal College of General Practitioners. Symptoms can include “dizziness, nausea, headache, fatigue or dehydration,” Brown said.
These are symptoms that I also experience when the thermometer approaches 30 degrees Celsius. Ever since I started taking antidepressants about two years ago, I’ve been having more heat problems. Sertraline and amitriptyline are effective in treating my chronic pain, but they also make summer less enjoyable.
Picnic with friends in the park? Thanks for the invitation, but I can’t attend. I feel dizzy whenever I do anything except lie on the couch. Instead, I stay inside my dark apartment, with a fan blowing air directly into my face.
Even when the temperature is 25 degrees Celsius, I often reach office drenched in sweat. For me, headaches and constant fatigue are as much a part of summer as tan and cocktails are for others.
increased heat sensitivity
“The human body maintains its core temperature through a complex system of physiological mechanisms that work together to compensate for fluctuations caused by metabolic processes, physical exertion, and environmental factors,” said Michael Paulzen, deputy head of the psychopharmacology division at the German Society for Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics. Paulzen is also chief physician at the Alexioner Hospital in Aachen.
“Failure of this thermoregulatory process can be caused by thermal stress, heat, or even certain medications,” Paulzen said.
These medications include antidepressants, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), such as sertraline, and tricyclic antidepressants, such as amitriptyline. These drugs affect, among other things, the hypothalamus, a brain gland that regulates body temperature.
One possible result is that the body may struggle to properly regulate its temperature. This can lead to muscle cramps, fainting, heat exhaustion and even heat stroke. Antidepressants can also reduce the sensation of thirst, meaning the body may need fluids before a person realizes they are thirsty. These medications may make the skin more sensitive to sun damage.
“Some of these medicines can make it harder to keep the body cool and hydrated, so it’s worth taking care to drink enough water and stay away from heat,” said Daniel Harwood of Britain’s Royal College of Psychiatrists. “Being dehydrated can be a particular problem, as it can increase sensitivity to the effects of some medications.”
Are you sweating excessively?
“I sweat like a sheltered farm animal,” one user commented on a sertraline-related post on a Reddit chat forum.
Another wrote, “Normally heatwaves bother me anyway, but since starting sertraline earlier this year, it’s so bad, it feels like I’m melting no matter what I do or wear.”
A post from June reads: “Since I’ve been taking Zoloft I’m hot all the time [the brand name for sertraline in the US]It’s really debilitating.”
There are medical explanations for these effects. “Tricyclic antidepressants such as amitriptyline can inhibit sweating and thus reduce cooling through evaporation,” says Paulzen. “On the other hand, [other] Antidepressants can increase sweating by increasing the activity of the sympathetic nervous system, an active part of the autonomic nervous system.” For example, sertraline is notorious for increasing sweating, according to Reddit.
always consult a doctor
I can’t wait for summer to end – I’m tired of excessive sweating, frequent heat rashes, and complete exhaustion. But unfortunately, human-induced climate change will make higher temperatures common in the future.
Europe is the continent that is warming fastest. So how can people who are dependent on antidepressants protect themselves?
First things first: Under no circumstances should you stop taking your medicine or change your dosage without consulting a doctor.
“Suddenly stopping antidepressants can cause withdrawal symptoms and impact the patient’s mental health and well-being,” Brown said. “The advice for people taking antidepressants is the same heat-sensitive health advice we would give more widely: Drink plenty of fluids [and] Stay out of direct sunlight where possible.”
Paulzen said following such precautions will make it possible to take antidepressants without an increase in side effects. However, a person should seek medical or therapeutic help if serious physical problems or previously unknown mental symptoms arise.
Luckily for me, it hasn’t been that bad for me so far. That said, I’m already looking forward to the start of fall.
This article was translated from German