Real-World Data on SSRI Antidepressant Side Effects

Abstract

In this article, we provide information on patient-reported side effects from a cross-section of real-world patients. Specifically, data on side effects was tabulated for patients taking one of the following selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressants: citalopram, escitalopram, fluoxetine, paroxetine, and sertraline. Thirty-eight percent of the approximately 700 patients surveyed reported having experienced a side effect as a result of taking a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressant; the most common side effects mentioned were sexual functioning, sleepiness, and weight gain. Only 25 percent of the side effects were considered "very bothersome" or "extremely bothersome." Regardless of how bothersome the side effects were, however, only 40 percent of patients mentioned the side effects to their prescribing physicians.

Keywords: SSRI; antidepressant; patient-reported side effect; real-world data.

FIGURE 1.

Analysis of www.iGuard.org data for citalopram, escitalopram, fluoxetine, paroxetine, and sertraline showing the most commonly patient-reported side effects

FIGURE 2.

Analysis of www.iGuard.org data for citalopram, escitalopram, fluoxetine, paroxetine, and sertraline showing percentage of patients who ranked side effects as “bothersome.”

FIGURE 3.

Analysis of www.iGuard.org data for citalopram, escitalopram, fluoxetine, paroxetine, and sertraline. Left bar indicates the percentage of total patients who reported side effects to their physicians; right bar indicates the percentage of the subset of patients who ranked their side effects as “very” or “extremely bothersome” and reported their symptoms to their physicians.