What Are the Medications That Can Cause Depression?

When asking yourself questions about what causes depression, you probably don’t think of medications. However, it is not unusual for certain medicines to have as a side effect overwhelming feelings of sadness characteristic of depressive disorders. There are numerous medications that can cause depression, resulting in co-occurring conditions and requiring a specific treatment.

We at Little Creek Pennsylvania rehab have the experience of addressing depression caused by medications as well as co-occurring mental health states. Based on our experience and available research, we would like to introduce you to this intriguing topic. Keep reading to learn about the depressogenic drugs and the mechanisms behind them causing depression. We will also share with you when to seek professional help and what to look for.

Understanding the Connection Between Medications and Depression

When considering potential negative consequences of medicine intake, the majority are worried about developing dependence on them and needing a prescription drug addiction treatment. However, as research shows, some medicines can result in mental health issues, such as depression.

Depression is significantly more common in patients with medical illnesses than in the general population. For instance, it was noticed that in approximately 10% to 20% of patients with acute cardiac disease, diabetes, renal failure, or cancer, there were symptoms of major depressive disorder. Even more patients had clinically significant, subsyndromal depressive symptoms. This made researchers interested in the topic of the relationship between medications and depression. 

According to some, medication can lead to depressive symptoms directly or indirectly. When the effect is direct, the levels of neurotransmitters in the central nervous system (CNS) are altered. When the effect is indirect, what medications do is cause fatigue, diminished appetite, cause sedation, or other side effects that can lead to even a full depressive episode. While some claim that many medications cause depression, others suggest there are only a few types of drugs strongly linked to this state. 

Still, due to the potential for depression to happen, everyone agrees that caution and monitoring are advised. When your general physician prescribes them, they consider the odds of depressive episodes and the severity of the illness they’re treating. They might weigh in favor of using the medication and then address depressive symptoms if they occur.

What Drugs Are Depressogenic?

The class of medications that can cause depression is known as depressogenic drugs. So, what drugs are depressogenic?

The list of medications that have depressogenic effects is not short. Some studies name neurologic medications, cardiovascular medications, anti-infective agents, oncologic medications, and miscellaneous medications as those related to depressive disorder. Harvard Medical School singles out these medications that have depression as a side effect:

• acid reflux medications such as omeprazole, esomeprazole, ranitidine, and famotidine,
• allergy medications such as montelukast and cetirizine,
• anxiety medications such as alprazolam, diazepam, and lorazepam (and the sleep medication zolpidem),
• birth control and hormone therapy, which includes anything containing estrogen,
• blood pressure medications such as atenolol, metoprolol, enalapril, and quinapril,
• pain medications such as ibuprofen, cyclobenzaprine, hydrocodone, and tramadol,
• antiseizure medications such as gabapentin, topiramate, and lamotrigine.

As the most frequently used categories of medications that can cause depression, these are often mentioned:

• Antihypertensive medications,
• Corticosteroids,
• Hormonal medications,
• Anticonvulsants,
• Antipsychotics and depressants,
• Statins and cholesterol-lowering drugs.

Medications Known to Cause Depression

When it comes to what medicine can cause depression, the following medicine groups have been thoroughly researched in association with mental health disorders, including depression.

Antihypertensive Medications

A link between depression and the variety of cardiovascular medications was identified. Angiotensin antagonists, beta-blockers, and calcium channel blockers are three categories of antihypertensive medications that studies have identified as having the potential to exacerbate depression symptoms. Studies are still showing heterogeneous results, but the conclusion about staying vigilant about depression as a side effect of antihypertensive medications remains a joint recommendation. 

Corticosteroids

Corticosteroids impact serotonin by reducing it. That impact further regulates the mood, sleep, and pain perception. It was shown that excessive amounts of corticosteroids can result in mood fluctuations and depression. Studies also show that prolonged use of oral corticosteroids can result in anxiety and psychological sexual dysfunction. As corticosteroids lead to neurotransmitter imbalances, problems with cognition, hyperactivity, irritability, and insomnia may also occur. Mental status changes can take place as a person using corticosteroids attempts to cope with adverse reactions to this medicine. 

Hormonal Medications

The relationship between alterations in various hormonal systems and psychiatric disorders, including depression, is well established. Listen, estrogen and testosterone deficiencies have been linked with major depressive disorder (MDD). It is presumed that mechanisms include alterations in the concentration and availability of neurotransmitter amines, including serotonin. Research also shows an association between gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists and depression in the noncancer population. 

Anticonvulsants

The whole group of neurologic medications is linked to symptoms of depression. Medicines that treat seizure disorders seem to be quite impactful. Among patients with epilepsy, there’s a significantly increased risk of major depressive disorder (MDD). Three medications (barbiturates, vigabatrin, and topiramate) are thought to be more of a catalyst than others in the group of anti-convulsions. They all work on the y-aminobutyric acid (GABA) neurotransmitter system and may produce fatigue, sedation, impaired cognition, and depressed mood.

Antipsychotics and depressants

Both antipsychotics and depressants are linked to depression diagnosed in certain patients. For instance, benzodiazepines, often used to treat anxiety and insomnia, even in patients with depression, are among the identified depressants of the central nervous system (CNS) linked to symptoms of depression. Long-term and chronic use of benzodiazepines can lead to addiction to them as well as depression, resulting in co-occurring conditions and requiring both benzo detox and treatment for major depressive disorder (MDD). 

Cholesterol-Lowering Drugs

Researchers have demonstrated that maintaining normal cholesterol levels is important for the function of serotonin receptors. Chronic cholesterol depletion might change receptor dynamics. While it cannot be claimed that cholesterol-lowering drugs cause depression, what has been reported so far is that constantly lower levels of cholesterol are marked in more severely depressive and aggressive patients.

What Medicine Can Cause Depression in Vulnerable Individuals?

The fact that medicine has depression as one of its side effects does not mean that everybody’s going to be depressed if they start taking it. Certain categories of people are more vulnerable to developing depression due to the use of depressogenic drugs. 

For instance, those who need to treat chronic conditions (e.g., multiplex sclerosis) and have to use depressogenic medicines continuously are more likely to develop depression. Furthermore, those who have a history of depression or a family history of mental health issues are more vulnerable to developing various mental health conditions, including depression. This makes them more susceptible to the influence of the depressogenic medicines.

In these cases, physicians need to be especially careful when prescribing medications that can have depressogenic effects. It’s important to consult your doctor and assess the risk before opting for certain medicines.

What Causes Depression from Medications?

Researchers are still trying to figure out how medicines cause depression. Seem to be too popular opinions:

• Neurochemical imbalances. In many cases, medicines impact different neurochemicals in your brain. Frequently, the impact levels of serotonin are directly correlated with mood. By decreasing levels of serotonin, depressogenic drugs directly contribute to low mood, leading to depression.
• The effects of withdrawal. In some cases, people become dependent on medicines they’re taking, requiring rehab in Wilkes Barre PA, or similar facilities. Entering an addiction treatment, for example, in Pennsylvania opioid treatment programs, you will go through a detox. During this phase of the treatment, withdrawal symptoms typically occur, and in some cases, one of the withdrawal effects is depressive states.

Seeking Professional Help for Medication-Induced Depression

Once you recognize you are experiencing overwhelming sadness and loss of interest and you’re not able to find a cause, you should turn to professionals for a mental health evaluation. It is important to mention your medical history and provide input about the medicines you’re taking to help figure out whether they caused depression.

While you might be taking a medicine that has depression as a side effect, this is not necessarily a cause for your depression. It can rather be an additional factor contributing to it. Psychotherapy, therefore, becomes a vital tool to uncover the causes of depression but also develop skills that help you cope with it and any future challenges related to mental health. 

Mental health assessment is the first step in partial hospitalization program rehab in Pennsylvania. Professionals evaluate the severity of your mental state, gather necessary data, and give initial suggestions for treatment.

Accessible Therapy Solutions: How Rehab Centers Can Help

At Little Creek Recovery, you can expect an individualized approach customized to your needs, preferences, and circumstances. Additionally, with Aetna rehab coverage, you need not worry about the costs of the rehab, as your insurance plan will partially or fully cover it. While receiving depression treatment, you can count on ongoing support and guidance. 

• Medicine-assisted treatments can help with neurochemical imbalances or address withdrawal symptoms if a dependence has developed. Including medicines in your treatment is one of the main reasons you should turn to professionals, as they will know which combination of medicines is acceptable and will not cause additional strains and issues. They will also be able to monitor your condition continuously and adjust treatment if necessary.
• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can address your vulnerabilities and empower you to manage stressors and other mental health challenges independently. Furthermore, CBT helps develop healthy coping mechanisms, functional and rational thought patterns, and skills that will help you manage your mental health in the future. 

Additionally, suppose you have developed a dependence on a depressogenic drug due to its continuous use, which also resulted in depression. You will probably need a Little Creek dual diagnosis treatment in that case. Dual diagnosis requires simultaneous treatment of both conditions, as they can impact each other and make the recovery process more challenging.

Take Control of Your Mental Health

Now that you know that there are medications that can cause depression, try to stay well-informed about the medicines that you’re taking. Consult with your physician and share all details about your condition and the therapies you received so far to minimize the risks related to any medicine’s side effects.

If you find yourself in a situation where the medicines you took lead to an addiction or hurt your mental health, be sure to seek professional help. Little Creek Recovery offers the best residential rehab for addiction treatment. We can help you address your current mental health struggles and empower you to tackle any future challenges that might come your way. Call us to learn more about our programs and how we can support you.