The use of antidepressants during pregnancy may just increase your risk of developing diabetes. According to a Canadian study published in BMJ Open, taking antidepressants (ADs), particularly common ADs, venlafaxine and amitriptyline, is associated with an increased risk of developing gestational diabetes mellitus. [1]
The findings are based on the Quebec Pregnancy Cohort, which collected data on pregnancies and children in the region from 1998 to 2015. The use of AD was determined on the basis of prescriptions from the beginning of the pregnancy. The appearance of gestational diabetes mellitus was identified after the 20th week of pregnancy.
The researchers studied 20905 cases of gestational diabetes as compared to the control group of 209050 unaffected cases. Of these 9741 were exposed to ADs during their pregnancy. The antidepressants used covered a wide range, from SSRI drugs to SNRI drugs and tricyclic antidepressant amitriptyline. The likelihood of women on ADs developing diabetes ranged from 19 percent to 27 percent. Moreover, the risk increased with the duration of AD use.
