Are over-the-counter medicines giving you depression?

A link has been established between 200 prescription and over-the-counter pills and the risk of depression. Are you too taking these medicines?

By: Sudhakar Jha | | Published: August 19, 2018 2:58 pm

Being a passive social addict could be a sign of depression. © Shutterstock

Medications are supposed to make you feel better, right? Well, they do that, but there are a lot of side-effects of these medicines that we overlook. And some of them are depression and suicidal tendencies. And in a new study one or both risks have been linked to use of more than 200 prescription and over-the-counter pills, including medicines that treat high blood pressure, heartburn, pain, hormonal contraceptives, antacids, painkillers and headaches. And they are not even related to mental health! Also Read - Depression, stress may reduce efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines, scientists say

According to a study published in the The Journal of the American Medical Association the more of these drugs you use, the higher the likelihood that you’ll experience depression. Also Read - Food insufficiency during COVID-19 pandemic increases depression and anxiety symptoms

Working with five surveys conducted over a nine-year period, researchers evaluated health information of 26,192 adults to find out that about 37 per cent of them reported taking such medications. Of individuals taking three or more of the medications with depression as a possible side effect, about 15 per cent reported depression, compared to about 5 percent in people who were not on those medications. For people who were already taking an antidepressant, the addition of one or more of the identified medicines generated higher risks of depression. However, the study was based on different surveys, and it didn’t quite prove that the medications were the real reason for reported depression. Also Read - Using cannabis as painkiller can lead to withdrawal symptoms. Try these herbs instead

Nonetheless, if you think you’re depressed (and have symptoms such as hopelessness, changes in sleep or eating patterns, and regular fatigue), ask your doc if any of the prescribed medicines or over-the-counter pill may be responsible.

Image source: Shutterstock

Published : August 19, 2018 2:58 pm

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