Re: Long-term side effects
Originally Posted by
mollyfin
I've been on this stuff for years and want to know what of my current health symptoms might be caused by it. Is this information readily available somewhere I'm just not finding?
It depends on the AD, but generally they don't produce serious ongoing side-effects. The one that gets mentioned most often apart from weight gain is sexual dysfunction. From time to time a side-effect may hit the headlines, but often anxiety disorders or depression are also risk factors so it can be debatable whether the disorder, or med are the cause. Osteoporosis is an example. OTOH, some ADs may have benefits with long-term use. SSRIs, SNRIs and some TCAs may reduce heart attack and ischaemic stroke risk (though they slightly increase that of haemorrhagic stroke), and SSRIs seem to slow the rate of plaque build-up in Alzheimer's disease (the TCAs seem to be better at minimising other dementias).
Which AD are you taking and what side-effects are you concerned about?
__________________
The opinions expressed above are based on my observations and, where applicable, interpretation of cited data and are general in nature. Consult your physician before acting on anything stated.