Why antidepressant users struggle in heatwaves

Antidepressant users say recent hot weather has left them "exhausted" and "agitated" due to the effects of the drugs.

With another heatwave set to hit the West, the NHS has warned that some mental health drugs can affect the body's ability to regulate temperature and has advised users to "take extra care".

"I've noticed a huge struggle to focus, lack of sleep and difficulty just being comfortable," said Daniel Cooper, 32, from Chippenham, Wiltshire.

Mental health charities have warned of a rise in people struggling. Liam Cooper-King, from Changes Bristol, said: "People commonly tell us that they overheat much more easily during hot weather, which can lead to fatigue, dizziness and nausea."

Cooper, who takes sertraline to treat depression and anxiety, said this year's conditions have felt "more intense" and that the effects had been noticeable beyond the discomfort normally associated with hot weather.

"The obvious symptom for me is excessive sweating," he said. "You'd be sitting down and it's just constant.

"I also felt more agitated which is kind of the opposite of what [the medication] is there to do.

"All of a sudden it's the perfect storm of not being able to function properly."

Faye Young, 28, from Wotton-under-Edge in Gloucestershire, who has taken sertraline for a year and a half, said she stays indoors when it is really hot.

"I experience excessive and constant sweating, [I become] agitated and snappy, I overheat unusually quickly," she said.

"I just ensure to keep in the shade and cool, try to drink more water than usual and avoid going out in it to be honest."

Charities say these experiences are not uncommon.

Dom Horton, from Rethink Mental Illness in Bristol, said certain antidepressants, including SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) and SNRIs (serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors) can affect how the body responds to heat.

These include medications such as sertraline, citalopram, fluoxetine, and paroxetine which are commonly used to treat a range of mental health conditions.

"Antidepressants can increase sweating, which in hot weather raises the risk of dehydration," Horton said.

"For most people this will be unpleasant rather than dangerous, but some people may be at greater risk of heat-related illness."

Henry Winchester, 45, from Southville, Bristol, has been taking vortioxetine to treat general anxiety and depression for most of his adult life.

Although the drug is not an SSRI or SNRI, Winchester said he often feels exhausted after periods of extreme heat.

"After the heatwave had ended, I suddenly felt quite tired afterwards," he said.

"I'm not sure if my body was working harder to maintain a certain temperature."

Cooper-King, from Changes Bristol, said greater public awareness was needed.

"There is certainly more attention being given to the impact of heat on people taking antidepressants than there has been in the past," he said.

"However, I'm not convinced those messages are always reaching the people who need them most."

The NHS has advised people to continue taking their medication as prescribed but to take extra care.

"Where possible, stay out of the sun during the hottest parts of the day, keep well hydrated, and avoid caffeine and alcohol," a spokesperson for NHS Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board said.

"To help keep homes cool, close windows and curtains during the day."

Support for those feeling unwell is available through pharmacies or NHS 111, the spokesperson added.

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