What sort of side-effects might occur if I am taking an SSRI?
The table below will show you some of the main side effects you might get from an SSRI.
|
Side effect |
What happens |
What to do about it |
|
COMMON (more than about 1 in 10 people might get these) |
||
|
Nausea and vomiting |
Feeling sick and being sick. |
Take your SSRI with or after food. If you are sick for more than a day, contact your doctor. This tends to wear off after a few days or a week or so. |
|
Insomnia |
Not being able to get to sleep at night. |
Make sure you take your dose in the morning. It may be possible to change the time of your dose, or reduce the dose a little to start with. |
|
Sexual dysfunction |
Finding it hard to have an orgasm. No desire for sex. |
Discuss with your doctor. |
|
LESS COMMON (less than about 1 in 10 people might get these) |
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|
Drowsiness |
Feeling sleepy or sluggish. It can last for a few hours after taking your dose. |
Don't drive or use machinery. Ask your doctor if you can take your SSRI at a different time of day. |
|
Headache |
Your head is pounding and painful. |
Try paracetamol. Your pharmacist will be able to advise if this is safe to take with any other medicines you may be taking. |
|
Loss of appetite |
Not feeling hungry. You may lose weight. |
If this is a problem, contact your doctor or pharmacist for advice. |
|
Diarrhoea |
Going to the toilet more than usual and passing loose, watery stools. |
Drink plenty of water. Get advice from your pharmacist. If it lasts for more than a day or so, contact your doctor. |
|
UNCOMMON (less than about 1 in 100 people might get these) |
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|
Restlessness or anxiety |
Being more on edge. You may sweat a lot more. |
Try and relax by taking deep breaths. Wear loose fitting clothes. This often happens early on in treatment and should gradually ease off over several weeks. A lower starting dose may help sometimes. |
|
RARE (less than about 1 in 1000 people might get these) |
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|
Rashes and pruritis |
Rashes anywhere on the skin. These may be itchy (pruritis). |
Stop taking and contact your doctor now. |
|
Dry mouth |
Not much saliva or spit. |
Suck sugar-free boiled sweets. If it is bad, your doctor may be able to give you a mouth spray. |
|
Skin rashes |
Blotches seen anywhere. |
Stop taking and contact your doctor now. |
|
Tremors and dystonias |
Feeling shaky. You may get a twitch or feel stiff. |
It is not dangerous. If it troubles you, contact your doctor. |
Do not be worried by this list of side effects. Some people get no side effects at all and others may get some effects that are not listed in this table. Side effects tend to be worse with higher doses. Starting with a lower dose sometimes helps. If you think you might have a side effect to your medicine, you should discuss this with your doctor, nurse of pharmacist. You should also see the manufacturer's information leaflet.
Updated 12.11