{"id":73639,"date":"2025-07-18T21:12:11","date_gmt":"2025-07-18T21:12:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/73639\/"},"modified":"2025-07-18T21:12:11","modified_gmt":"2025-07-18T21:12:11","slug":"ssri-and-heat-intolerance-why-your-antidepressants-might-be-making-you-sweat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/73639\/","title":{"rendered":"SSRI and Heat Intolerance: Why Your Antidepressants Might Be Making You Sweat"},"content":{"rendered":"

As climate change accelerates, summer is only getting longer \u2013 and hotter<\/a>. Though the extreme heat can be difficult for anyone to deal with, it seems that it can be particularly arduous for people with certain mental health<\/a> conditions.<\/p>\n

During a recent heat wave, scores of people on TikTok posted about experiencing heat intolerance while taking serotonin reuptake inhibitors, also known as SSRIs, a type of antidepressant. The videos range from funny<\/a> (relatable POV shots of people sweating profusely) to educational (some doctors<\/a> weighed in on the medical reasons behind the phenomenon). It\u2019s true that SSRIs can impact how your body reacts to heat, but as with anything on social media, the truth about SSRI heat intolerance is more complicated than it seems.<\/p>\n

About 13% of adults<\/a> in the United States take antidepressants (of which SSRIs are the most common form). SSRIs are commonly prescribed to treat depression, anxiety<\/a>, and panic disorders and include commonly known medications<\/a> like Prozac and Zoloft. The drugs function<\/a> by blocking the brain\u2019s reuptake of serotonin, which is a naturally occurring chemical that regulates mood. But regulating mood isn\u2019t serotonin\u2019s only job, says Dr. Joshua Wortzel<\/a>, MD, a psychiatrist and assistant professor at the Yale School of Medicine.<\/p>\n

\u201cSertonin plays a fundamental role in regulating the body\u2019s main thermostat, the hypothalamus,\u201d says Dr. Wortzel. \u201cSSRIs [are] obviously going to have a number of effects on the body\u2019s ability to thermoregulate. Ten percent of people on SSRIs will report increased sweating<\/a>, especially in the beginning.\u201d<\/p>\n

Still, Dr. Wortzel says that SSRIs don\u2019t necessarily lead to heat intolerance \u2014 it might be the mental health condition the drugs treat that changes how you react to heat. Research suggests<\/a> that people with depression tend to have higher body temperatures, prompting scientists to look at whether lowering body temperature might have a therapeutic effect. Dr. Wortzel says increased sweating on SSRIs can be a cooling mechanism for the body, which helps regulate that core temperature.<\/p>\n

So, do SSRIs cause heat intolerance? Not necessarily \u2014 but they do impact how your body regulates temperature, which we know can already be a struggle during the summer months. How can you handle all that sweating in the heat? Dr. Elizabeth Haase, MD, a psychiatrist who is part of the Climate Psychiatry Alliance, says it\u2019s key to know your limits.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe basic advice would be to be aware that you\u2019re going to be less able to adapt to the heat than other people and to come in out of the heat earlier,\u201d says Dr. Haase. \u201cYou just want to be more cautious.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr. Haase stresses that the potential of heat intolerance should not keep someone<\/a> from taking their prescribed medications. Instead, Dr. Wortzel says patients may reach out to their doctors to discuss SSRI heat intolerance and plan coping strategies.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy number one advice would be to talk to your medical provider about how you\u2019re going to manage your medicines in the heat,\u201d says Dr. Wortzel. He notes that sleep is negatively impacted by rising temperatures and heat<\/a> so if a person has to limit where they\u2019re going to use air conditioning or other measures, it\u2019s best to use it in the room where they sleep. \u201cAir conditioning is huge because we know that sleep disruption can increase risks of depression, mood instability, emotional stability, and suicidality. Try to stay cool at night.”<\/p>\n