Overview
- An Amber Heat Health Alert is in place across England as a heatwave strengthens, prompting doctors to issue drug-specific safety advice.
- Dr Rupa Parmar of Midland Health said on Friday that SSRIs can cause excess sweating by affecting the brain’s temperature control, which can reduce a patient’s ability to cope with high heat.
- People taking SSRIs may be more likely to become dehydrated or develop heat exhaustion and heatstroke; watch for headache, dizziness, nausea, confusion and a fast pulse.
- Practical steps advised include drinking about three litres of fluid a day, avoiding caffeine and alcohol, staying in cool rooms, wearing loose breathable clothing and using cold compresses; seek urgent medical help if heatstroke is suspected.
- Coverage notes about 8.7 million SSRI prescriptions in 2023–24 but does not cite new clinical studies or regulatory action, and patients are urged not to stop medication without consulting their GP.