Talk to Your Doctor About Medications and Depression – Don Mordecai, MD on NPR

A recent study found more than 200 common medications sold in the United States include depression as a potential side effect. A broadcast on NPR’s “All Things Considered” interviewed experts on the topic, including Don Mordecai, MD, national lead for Mental Health and Wellness at Kaiser Permanente.

In the NPR report, medications linked to depression include proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) used to treat acid reflux, beta blockers, anxiety drugs, painkillers including ibuprofen, ACE inhibitors used to treat high blood pressure, and anti-convulsant drugs. The report cites a recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Dr. Mordecai says patients taking these medications should talk to their doctors and ask questions about the risks and benefits. He also suggested tracking changes in how you feel when you begin a new medication.

“People who don’t have a history of depression and then, suddenly, start to have symptoms of depression should be concerned that it’s potentially due to a side effect, or potentially, an interaction,” says Dr. Mordecai, who is also a psychiatrist at Kaiser Permanente San Jose Medical Center.

Visit the NPR site to listen to the full broadcast or read the accompanying story.