Is your medication messing with your mood? More than 200 medications are linked to depression. Here are some of the most common.

If you are taking medication, you should be aware of the potential side effects, including depression. In fact, about a third of Americans are taking a prescription medication that could potentially cause depression or increase suicide risk. Older adults are more vulnerable to medication side effects, including depression.

It can take weeks or months after you start a new medication for a psychological side effect such as depression to emerge. More than 200 drugs are linked to depression. Here are some of the most common:

1. Steroids (corticosteroids)
Steroids are medications that ease inflammation and can treat short-term flare-ups like allergies, eczema, and poison ivy, as well as chronic conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and multiple sclerosis. Steroids have a “strong reputation” for causing mood changes. In the short term, euphoria and hypomania are the most common issues, but long-term therapy “tends to induce depressive symptoms.”

2. Parkinson’s disease medications
Parkinson’s disease medications such as carbidopa and levodopa (Sinemet, Rytary, Duopa) affect the brain’s level of dopamine, which is one of the key chemicals involved in the regulation of mood. Parkinson’s disease is also linked with depression, due to the biological processes associated with the disease. For some patients, antidepressants can help alleviate symptoms.

3. Hormone replacement therapy
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is prescribed to help with the side effects of menopause, including depression. The estrogen and progestin used in birth control methods such as the pill or patch have long been linked to a higher risk of depression. A recent study found that women who started HRT had a higher risk of developing depression, especially if they started the therapy before age 50. Administering HRT locally – through a vaginal cream, for example – had a lower risk of depression.

4. Benzodiazepines such as Xanax, Valium, and Ativan
Benzodiazepines are sedating medications widely prescribed for anxiety and sleep problems. They are also used for seizures or muscle spasms. Because they depress your central nervous system, benzodiazepines can make you feel sleepy and tired, and they tend to reduce cognitive function – factors that may contribute to depression. Benzodiazepines can be dangerous for older adults for other reasons, according to the National Institutes of Health. They can impair cognition, mobility, and driving skills in older people, and they increase the risk of falls. They are also habit-forming, and long-term use can lead to withdrawal symptoms if they’re discontinued.

5. Anti-seizure medications
Anti-seizure medications such as Keppra (levetiracetam), Topamax (topiramate), and Dilantin (phenytoin) help control seizures caused by epilepsy and other conditions, but they may also be prescribed for conditions such as anxiety, migraines, bipolar disorder, nerve pain, fibromyalgia, and restless leg syndrome. Anti-seizure medications are “very diverse,” and different drugs may either elevate or depress your mood. While no one can predict with certainty how a medicine will affect an individual, some anti-seizure drugs are most commonly associated with improved mood, and those linked to worse depression.

6. Opioids and some other pain medications
Opioids are highly addictive and are prescribed to help patients get through pain from surgery or a traumatic injury, or for painful conditions such as back ailments, sickle cell disease, cancer, or rheumatoid arthritis. If you use them for too long, research indicates you may be at an increased risk of depression. Other pain medicines – including over-the-counter drugs such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) and ibuprofen (sold as Advil, Motrin, and Aleve) – also have been linked to depressive side effects with long-term use.

Signs of depression

If you have any of the following symptoms of depression, talk to your doctor. Make sure you mention any medications you started in the past few months:

* Feeling sad or anxious often or all the time

* Not wanting to do activities that used to be fun

* Feeling irritable, easily frustrated, or restless

* Having trouble falling asleep or staying asleep

* Waking up too early or sleeping too much

* Eating more or less than usual or having no appetite

* Experiencing aches, pains, headaches, or stomach problems that do not improve with
treatment

* Having trouble concentrating, remembering details, or making decisions

* Feeling tired, even after sleeping well

* Feeling guilty, worthless, or helpless

* Thinking about suicide or hurting yourself

It is important to always talk to your doctor about any potential side effects of medications you are taking, including depression

Written by Michelle Crouch for AARP ~September 12, 2023