Headache experienced by patients taking second-generation
anti-depressants is not a treatment-related side effect.
As per a recent meta-analysis
from the Journal of Affective Disorders, the headache among patients taking
second-generation antidepressant medicines found more likely to be coincidental
rather than the treatment-emergent side effect. The analysis was conducted to determine
the risk of a headache accompanied by frequently used antidepressants and
related drug class, dosage and pharmacodynamics effect on such type of
headaches. All randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind trials involving
the efficiency of second-generation antidepressants used to treat anxiety,
obsessive-compulsive disorders and depression were identified through PubMed. A
fixed-effect meta-analysis was employed to examine the pooled risk ratio of
headache reported as a side-effect in adults treated with second-generation
antidepressants compared to placebo. The impact of drug dosage, class, type,
receptor infinity profile and indications on the risk of a headache were
examined by using stratified subgroup analysis and meta-regression.
As compared
to placebo (p = 0.045) the Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) were
significantly related to the prolonged risk of a headache. No notable
difference in risk of a headache was recorded with SSRIs and SNRIs (p = 0.63).
Further, the second-generation antidepressants dosage, diagnostic indication
and pharmacological properties exhibited similar relative risk of a headache.
Escitalopram and Bupropion were the only antidepressants that showed a
significant relationship with an enhanced risk of headache (p = 0.04 and 0.006,
respectively).
Journal of Affective Disorders
Meta-analysis: Second generation antidepressants and headache.
Shilpa Telang et al.
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