A Canadian study conducted recently states that some common antidepressants taken by people make cause brain bleeds and increase stroke risks.
Though the chances are very small, researchers at the Western University in London, Ontario, Canada have found that the common antidepressants that people usually take increases the risk of suffering from a stroke and may also cause brain bleeding.
The study was conducted over 500,000 people and the analysis of 16 published studies. Researchers paid special attention and studied the common antidepressant known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) very carefully. SSRIs comprise of widely used drugs like fluoxetine (Prozac), sertraline (Zoloft), citalopram (Celexa) and paroxetine (Paxil.)
The study which was published in the journal Neurology stated the findings suggested that 40 to 50 percent of the people who consume SSRIs were more likely to suffer from bleeding in or around the brain.
"Physicians should be aware of this association -- particularly in those with a history of brain hemorrhage or people taking anticoagulants like warfarin," said the study's lead author, Dr. Daniel Hackam, associate professor of medicine at the London Health Sciences Center of University Hospital in London, Ontario.
"But lower-risk people don't have to worry as much," he said. "The absolute increase in risk for the average person is about one in 10,000 cases per exposure to one of these drugs. If you're a long-term user, there's even less risk."
SSRIs are also known to decrease the number of platelets in the red blood cells. While this may not be a problem for some people, others may be affected by it seriously and this can cause hemorrhagic stroke which is caused by bleeding in the brain.
However, Hackam made it clear that this study was not to scare away people from taking SSRIs as the findings were said to be very small and doesn't hold true for all people.
"The average young or middle-aged adult doesn't have to be worried," Hackam said. "People who have a higher risk of brain hemorrhage -- those with uncontrolled high blood pressure, on anticoagulants, alcoholics, elderly and people who have a history of a brain bleed -- should talk to their doctor about switching to an alternate class of medicine like bupropion (Wellbutrin) or tricyclic antidepressants."
"The general public shouldn't be afraid of taking SSRIs," said Dr. Carolyn Drazinic, assistant professor in the department of psychiatry and the department of genetics and developmental biology at the University of Connecticut Health Center in Farmington, Conn. "The risk of hemorrhagic stroke is very low. This study is more of a message to physicians to just think about this potential risk as they're starting someone on SSRIs."