The
testing that is performed in humans during clinical trials confirms
whether medications are doing the positive things they are supposed to
be doing. These clinical investigations also help predict the negative
side effects that future patients may experience. "Adverse events" are
the undesired things that researchers keep track of while medications
are being tested in people. Adverse events can be mild or severe, and
they can be common or rare.
So, like all medications for all disorders, antidepressants have some
desired actions and some potentially undesirable actions. Side effects
are the actions we don't like, although occasionally what is good for
one person may be bad for another. Some antidepressants, for example,
increase appetite and cause weight gain, which may be very beneficial
for some patients, but a huge problem for others. Sedation from some
antidepressants can help with insomnia, but also can lead to undesired
sleepiness during the day for some people.
The side effects of antidepressants may be minor and easy to tolerate,
or they may be so severe that people stop taking the medications. Many
people experience no side effects with antidepressants, but, very
rarely, side effects can be fatal. Usually side effects are considered
to be direct effects of the drugs, but people sometimes have allergic
reactions (mild or severe) to these medications that are really caused
when the body's immune system reacts abnormally to the presence of the
drug.
Some antidepressant side effects are relatively common, while others
almost never occur. Some of the side effects are similar for most
antidepressants or for major classes of the drugs, while others occur
only with individual medications. When people are taking two or more
medications, drug-drug interactions can sometimes cause problems, even
when the drugs are being taken for entirely different conditions.
testing that is performed in humans during clinical trials confirms
whether medications are doing the positive things they are supposed to
be doing. These clinical investigations also help predict the negative
side effects that future patients may experience. "Adverse events" are
the undesired things that researchers keep track of while medications
are being tested in people. Adverse events can be mild or severe, and
they can be common or rare.
So, like all medications for all disorders, antidepressants have some
desired actions and some potentially undesirable actions. Side effects
are the actions we don't like, although occasionally what is good for
one person may be bad for another. Some antidepressants, for example,
increase appetite and cause weight gain, which may be very beneficial
for some patients, but a huge problem for others. Sedation from some
antidepressants can help with insomnia, but also can lead to undesired
sleepiness during the day for some people.
The side effects of antidepressants may be minor and easy to tolerate,
or they may be so severe that people stop taking the medications. Many
people experience no side effects with antidepressants, but, very
rarely, side effects can be fatal. Usually side effects are considered
to be direct effects of the drugs, but people sometimes have allergic
reactions (mild or severe) to these medications that are really caused
when the body's immune system reacts abnormally to the presence of the
drug.
Some antidepressant side effects are relatively common, while others
almost never occur. Some of the side effects are similar for most
antidepressants or for major classes of the drugs, while others occur
only with individual medications. When people are taking two or more
medications, drug-drug interactions can sometimes cause problems, even
when the drugs are being taken for entirely different conditions.
