Antidepressants blamed for more bad side effects

A new report has been added to the growing list of negative side effects produced by popular anti-depressants. According to the Mayo Clinic, the drugs can cause painful headaches and tooth grinding.

Mayo researchers reported that several patients have suffered symptoms of bruxism -- including jaw clenching, headaches, tooth grinding and broken teeth -- after they began taking Zoloft for relief of depression and anxiety. The report was published in the December 1999 issue of the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.

Mayo Clinic psychiatrist John Michael Bostwick, M.D. said three other recent reports in the literature have described cases of patients with similar side effects from taking Zoloft and two other popular SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) drugs, Paxil and Prozac.

"I think it's important for doctors and people taking these drugs to be aware of this potential problem," stated Dr. Bostwick. "These are among the most commonly prescribed drugs in the United States. We don't know how common this problem is but we suspect that if physicians begin to ask about it, they will find it to be quite common."

SOURCES: Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, Dec. 1999.