Antidepressants are prescribed by physicians to treat and manage depression. The newer generation of antidepressants, such as the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI's) are more commonly prescribed for patients. All antidepressant drugs present with short-term and long-term side effects such as weight gain, sexual dysfunction and insomnia. As with any medication, some of the most troubling symptoms are experienced when trying to stop the medication; this is called withdrawal or discontinuation syndrome
Chronic Insomnia
All classes of antidepressants affect sleep. They activate certain parts of the brain that interfere with normal sleep patterns and suppress the sleep cycle or REM (rapid eye movement) sleep pattern. The University of Maryland Medical Center cites the long-term use of antidepressants such as bupropion and fluoxetine as causes of chronic insomnia. After stopping the medications, some patients experience "REM rebound," which is a period of having very vivid and realistic dreams or nightmares.
Weight Gain
Weight gain is a long-term effect of antidepressants. A study published in Annuals of Clinical Psychiatry (2002) by researchers P.S Masand and S. Gupta found that the study subjects averaged 4 kg of weight gain when prescribed antidepressants on a long-term basis. However, the weight gain is usually not severe and can be managed with lifestyle modifications and diet education.
Sexual Dysfunction
Sexual dysfunction caused by antidepressant therapy is also quite common. A comparative study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry (2003) by Lawrence A. Labbate, M.D, of various antidepressants on depressed patients concluded that erectile dysfunction affected 30 percent to 50 percent of study subjects treated with these medications. Decreased libido and delayed orgasm were common presentations of erectile problems.
Decreased sexual dysfunctions also occur in the female population taking antidepressants. An article published in the New York Times, May 1996, on women's health cited that women are just as likely to experience decrease or lost libido when taking antidepressants. The article also cited a clinical study conducted by Dr. Alan Feiger, at Feiger Psychmedical Center in Wheat Ridge, Colorado, that reported an increase in sexual desires and libido in a cohort of both men and women subjects when switched from the antidepressant Zoloft to Serzone.
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