A new study cited by Frontiers in Psychology questions the safety and effectiveness of many antidepressants. The authors say their harms may outweigh the benefits. They link these drugs to risks from digestive and sexual problems to higher stroke risk in older adults and higher mortality. The article also discusses ways to support serotonin without drugs.

According to the latest data cited by medicalnewstoday.com with reference to the journal “Frontiers in Psychology,” many antidepressants do more harm than good to patients.
According to Paul Andrews, a biologist at McMaster University and one of the authors of the published article, this type of medication needs to be handled more carefully. The danger lies in the fact that antidepressants are prescribed to millions of people every year, and it is widely accepted that these drugs are safe and effective.
Together with colleagues, Andrews studied the effectiveness of antidepressants and concluded that the positive qualities of these drugs are associated with risks — in particular, the risk of premature death in elderly patients.
As is known, antidepressants are intended to relieve the symptoms of depression by increasing serotonin levels in the brain. A huge amount of the serotonin produced by our body is used for other purposes — for example, digestion, development, and the regulation of vascular tone.
As research results have shown, antidepressants have a negative effect on overall health and on all processes regulated by serotonin in a healthy body. The findings of the studies cannot be called reassuring: taking antidepressants increases the risk of developmental problems in newborns; problems with sexual stimulation and sperm production in adults; digestive problems, in particular diarrhea, constipation, and upset stomach; and also increases the risk of stroke in old age.
In addition, scientists note a higher mortality rate among those who take antidepressants compared with healthy people. In their opinion, this indicates the negative impact of these drugs on the human body.
Andrews explains the negative effect of antidepressants by the fact that serotonin regulates many different processes in our body. When these processes are interfered with, one can expect, in an evolutionary perspective, a certain degree of harm. In addition, when discussing antidepressants, their negative effects were not taken into account at all, and for a long time no one studied them.
Therefore, scientists advise not to overuse antidepressants and to look for natural ways to increase serotonin levels — for example, use a head massager or eat more healthy foods such as bananas and chocolate, or have sex.
“We can change our ideas about these major pharmaceutical drugs. You get minimal benefit and a huge list of negative consequences — some of them minor, some rare, some common. The question is whether the list of negative consequences outweighs the minimal benefit?” Andrews asks.