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Long Term Effects of SSRI

The newest type of antidepressant medications is called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors or SSRIs. These include Prozac (fluoxetine) and Lexapro (escitoprolam). All SSRIs may cause long term side effects in people taking them for more than six months.

  1. Types

    • According to "Long Term Side Effects of SSRIs" (Prakash S. Masand, et al; Annals of Clinical Psychiatry, Vol. 14, No.3; 2004) the most common long term side effects of SSRIs are weight gain, sexual problems and problems with the drugs reacting badly with other medications.

    Significance

    • SSRI long term side effects are often caused by stimulating a person's appetite and making them drowsy. The drowsiness may also affect a person's sexual performance.

    Treatment

    • Weight gain can be prevented or treated with diet and exercise. Masand's paper also noted that sexual problems with SSRIs were treatable with changing to another type of SSRI or reducing the dose.

    Positives

    • The Family Intervention Guide to Mental Illness (Bodie Morey and Kim T. Mueser, Ph.D: 2007) notes that positive long term SSRI effects included reducing depression symptoms and getting into a regular sleep cycle.

    Warning

    • Never suddenly stop taking SSRIs, because that can produce painful withdrawal symptoms. In order to safely wean off of SSRIs, the dosage needs to be gradually decreased over one month or more.

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