Warning issued to anyone on antidepressants as temperatures soar

If you're on certain prescriptions, you might be feeling a little worse for wear during the heatwave.

We all know the warnings to stay hydrated; carry a water bottle and wear sunscreen, but did you know that your medication might be to blame if you're feeling the heat?

Many places in the UK aren't designed to withstand hot temperatures, with air con just being a fantasy for many..

Doctors have warned to be extra careful if you are taking antidepressants, as they increase your risk of suffering from serious health problems. Around 1 in 8 Americans take some form of antidepressant, while 8.3 million adults in the UK are on them, according to the NHS.

Dr. Zachary Rubin is a paediatrician and immunologist, and shared a warning on his TikTok account.

Which antidepressants are more likely to give you heat intolerance?

He urged: "If you’re taking certain antidepressants, you may be at risk for developing heat intolerance and dehydration.”

It also becomes even more important to drink water.

According to recent studies, there are two types of antidepressant which can impact the way your body can handle heat and regulate your temperature.

If you're taking an SSRI (serotonin reuptake inhibitor), which can include things like Prozac/fluoxetine, Zoloft/sertraline, Lexapo/escitalopram, Paxil/paroxetine and Celexa/citalopram, this is the first risky group.

The second group of medications are TCAs (tricyclic antidepressants). These drugs include the likes of Elavil/amitriptyline, Anafranil/clomipramine and Silenor/doxepin.

Taking these medications can cause your body temperature to increase significantly, even without factoring in the warmer weather.

“You may excessively sweat or you may not be able to sweat quite as much,” explained the doctor.

Therein lies the danger, as being able to sweat is vital to cool down when temperatures soar. If you cannot sweat properly, your risk of heatstroke, organ failure and worse increases.

Why do these antidepressants have an effect on your body during high temperatures?

A part of your brain, called the hypothalamus, is responsible for regulating your body temperature, thirst, and blood pressure. Antidepressants can disrupt the hypothalamus.

Dr. David Tzall warned: "When the hypothalamus cannot control body temperature, someone can overheat.”

Therefore, heat exhaustion is a very serious risk for anyone taking these medications.

What should you do if you're on antidepressants and you're affected by hot weather?

Despite the discomfort, Dr Wendy Burn told the BBC that you should not stop taking your medication: "Those struggling with the side effects should not come off their medication without consulting their doctor or specialist."

Another medical professional stressed the importance of being careful: “If you begin to feel a rapid heartbeat, start sweating excessively, develop nausea, dizziness or leg cramping, immediately seek air conditioning and if necessary, have someone call 911,” said Dr. Robert Glatter.

So, what should you do to be safe? Well, Dr Rubin says hydration is the most important thing.

As well as drinking enough water, he says you should avoid direct sun where possible and he stressed the importance of wearing loose, light coloured clothing in order to keep cool and not overheat.

Finally, he warned: “If you are struggling at all, make sure that you seek out help,” he said.