Scroll through social media during the summertime and it wouldn’t be unusual to come across plenty of people enjoying the sunshine and warmth. But in the last few years, there have also been those putting out warnings that antidepressants can make you more vulnerable to the effects of heat – so how true are these claims?
What’s the evidence?
The center for regulating body temperature, or thermoregulation, is a tiny structure in the middle of the brain called the hypothalamus. It’s this region that some evidence suggests a class of antidepressant medication known as tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) might affect in such a way that it makes it more difficult to regulate heat.
When we can’t regulate our body’s response to warmer weather, it’s known as heat intolerance, which can cause people to feel overheated and sweat excessively.
“Also [typically] the body has a good way of telling us when we are thirsty, but these medications can diminish that – and they can also lower blood pressure slightly, which can lead to a chance of fainting in the heat,” Dr Lawrence Wainwright, a researcher in the University of Oxford’s psychiatry department, told the BBC.
However, TCAs aren’t prescribed as often nowadays; people are more often given a newer class of drugs known as selective serotonin or serotonin/norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, SSRIs or SNRIs. Wainwright also said there’s some evidence to suggest that SSRIs impact thermoregulation too.
But on the whole, the body of evidence that could explain why people on antidepressants are reporting struggling in the heat remains incompletely understood, at least until further research is carried out – though scientists have some ideas.
“What we know is that different types of antidepressants [such as SSRIs and SNRIs] influence different chemical messengers called neurotransmitters,” Dr Chi-Chi Obuaya, consultant psychiatrist at Nightingale Hospital, told Stylist.
“The main ones are noradrenaline/norepinephrine, dopamine and, predominantly, serotonin – and the heat intolerance some people experience is most likely caused by a complex interplay between these.”
Sweaty side effects
Though the effect of antidepressants on the brain’s temperature regulation center is unclear, there’s a known side effect of several of these medications that could still put people at risk of heat-related illness: excessive sweating.
Known as hyperhidrosis, it’s a common side effect for both SSRIs and TCAs, particularly at night. This sweating can then ramp up even more during a heatwave, which can put people at increased risk of dehydration and the effects that come with that, such as headaches, dizziness, and fatigue.
How to stay cool
If you’re on antidepressants and feeling the heat, it’s not recommended to stop taking your medication; going cold turkey comes with its own set of uncomfortable side effects. Instead, it’s suggested to take the usual advice when it comes to staying cool:
- Drink plenty of fluids
- Avoid going outside if possible
- Keep cool inside by closing windows and keeping curtains/blinds closed
- Avoid exercising
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The content of this article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.
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