Heat is especially hard on people taking antidepressants

Published 11 July 2026 · health

High temperatures can increase the risk of dizziness, dehydration, exhaustion and other heat-related problems for people taking antidepressants. For people taking antidepressants, summer heat can

High temperatures can increase the risk of dizziness, dehydration, exhaustion and other heat-related problems for people taking antidepressants. 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 June To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Increased heat sensitivity "The human body maintains its core temperature through a complex system of physiological mechanisms that work together to compensate for fluctuations caused by metabolic processes, physical exertion and environmental factors," said Michael Paulzen, deputy head of the psychopharmacology division at the German Society for Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics. Paulzen is also chief physician at Aachen's Alexianer hospital. "A failure of this thermoregulatory process can be caused by thermal stress, heat or even certain medications," Paulzen said. These medications include antidepressants, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), like sertraline, and tricyclic antidepressants, like amitriptyline. These medications affect the hypothalamus, a brain gland that regulates body temperature, among other things. One possible consequence is that the body may struggle to regulate its temperature properly. This can lead to muscle cramps, fainting, heat exhaustion, and even heat stroke. Antidepressants can also reduce the sensation of thirst, meaning the body may require fluids before a person realizes they are thirsty. These medications can also make the skin more susceptible to sun damage.