For people taking antidepressants, summer heat can feel even more exhausting than it does for everyone else. When temperatures soar to 40 degrees Celsius (104 F) and above — as we have already witnessed this year in the Northern Hemisphere — this can affect how such drugs work, placing extra stress on our bodies.
"Some antidepressants ... can affect how the body regulates temperature [and] sweating," said the president of the British Royal College of General Practitioners, Victoria Tzortziou Brown. Symptoms can include "dizziness, nausea, headaches, tiredness or dehydration," Brown said.
These are symptoms that I, too, experience when the thermometer approaches the 30 C mark. I've been suffering more heat-related problems since I started taking antidepressants about two years ago. Sertraline and amitriptyline are effective at treating my chronic pain, but they also make summer less enjoyable.
A picnic with friends in the park? Thanks for the invitation, but I can't make it. I get dizzy whenever I do anything other than lie on the couch. Instead, I stay inside my darkened apartment, with a fan blowing air right into my face.
Even when it's just 25 C, I often arrive at the office completely drenched in sweat. For me, headaches and constant exhaustion are as much a part of summer as tans and cocktails are for others.Early-summer heat wave leads to Europe's record-hottest JuneTo view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
