Do SSRIs cause new onset diabetes

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silverboss

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Hi again I posted a question the other day about BB's causing diabetes. I now have the same question about SSRIs. I was on paroxetine for 16 years then switched to fluoxetine which I have been on for the past 5 years. All blood glucose tests have come back normal for the whole period. I would just like to know what others here think as there is so much info online saying that SSRIs can cause new onset diabetes, but none of it is conclusive i,e they can't really figure out if it is the drugs or weight gain cause by them that causes the problem. Also there are differing opinions about which SSRIs are problematic or not. A recent article claims that ssris may improve diabetes whereas older tri cyclyics might cause or worsen it. It also claims that the four below have zero effect on the development of diabetes?
  • venlafaxine (Effexor); SNRI
  • fluoxetine (Prozac, Sarafem); SSRI
  • citalopram (Celexa); SSRI
  • mirtazapine (Remeron); Tetracyclic Antidepressant
Just so much confusing info out there

Thanks Owain
 
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I have taken Sertraline for a time, but like you, I noticed no significant impact on either weight or blood glucose levels.

Eating larger meals I find is associated with weight gain more than anything else for me.

As the people who are looking into it are coming up with either contradictory or inconclusive results, it feels like any associations are weak if they exist at all?
 
@silverboss I’ve never heard that. As you suggest, I would think any tentative link would be more connected with weight gain.

I think you should focus on the fact that all your blood glucose results are normal. That’s a good thing 🙂 Here’s your earlier thread because I think some of the comments might overlap:

https://forum.diabetes.org.uk/board...t-diabetes-im-very-worried-about-this.101843/

As said, just try to stay healthy - eat sensibly, keep active - and don’t let worry ruin the positive things.
 
I was bunged on Sertraline which did absolutely nowt at all for anything - I'd been T1 for 30+ish years by that time anyway - then was swapped over the Citalopram which did help the panic attacks slightly. Neither was any real help nor hindrance to anything whatsoever (different story there) - certainly didn't affect my BG or my weight. Once again - poor mental health actually made me LOSE weight and I only regained it by eating more in general!
 
I’ve been on sertraline and citalopram. Both after diagnosis. Didn’t really notice any impact on blood sugar. Sertraline did not help at all really with mental health, citalopram really did help but caused horrendous tinnitus so I had to stop, still background ringing to this day
 
I use to go to a mental health Day centre and a high potion of users there had type two diabetes more so then in the normal population.I got no idea if this was down to meds or not.I was on antipsychotics that lowed my sugar levels for sure.
 
@silverboss I am confused. You have repeated that your blood tests for diabetes are negative but you continue to look for causes of diabetes.
You say you have done a lot of research and found SSRIs connection to diabetes is tentative at best but expect a group of not scientific strangers to know better than the expert papers you are reading.

I think you need to talk to your doctor to get to the bottom of your fear of diabetes and realise that you do not have it. Hopefully, that will give you the chance to look forward at what you can do to improve your physical and mental health rather than worrying about the past which cannot be changed.
 
Totalwar said:
I use to go to a mental health Day centre and a high potion of users there had type two diabetes more so then in the normal population.I got no idea if this was down to meds or not.I was on antipsychotics that lowed my sugar levels for sure.
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I think there is some connection between stress hormones and insulin resistance. Raised cortisol over extended periods of time have effect insulin sensitivity. People with mental health issues particularly anxiety may be more susceptible if they are already predisposed. Think thats a more likely cause than the antidepressants. Just my option which usually doesn’t count for much lol
 
i have been taking Paroxetine and then Duloxetine i was diagnosed with T1D whilst tapering off duloxetine

so…
 
Welcome @markies77 🙂 Could just be a coincidence as Type 1 is auto-immune. The only things I’ve read vaguely referring to this possibility are regarding Type 2, which is a very different condition (partly why I asked about weight gain above).

The cause (or causes) of Type 1 is currently unknown. The process leading to Type 1 usually starts months or years before the actual diagnosis.
 
A lot of antidepressants do cause weight gain very quickly which could cause early onset of type 2 diabetes.But this only my personal opinion.
 
Totalwar said:
A lot of antidepressants do cause weight gain very quickly which could cause early onset of type 2 diabetes.But this only my personal opinion.
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I agree that the weight gain can trigger type 2, I tried a number of SSRI brands and gained massive amounts of weight before starting an SNRI some aggravated me to crave carbohydrates, I never use the word cause onset now because it’s coming out that some of us type 2 sufferers have a genetic vulnerability, I am third generation in my family unfortunately, was also the first to be diagnosed.
 
silverboss said:
Hi again I posted a question the other day about BB's causing diabetes. I now have the same question about SSRIs. I was on paroxetine for 16 years then switched to fluoxetine which I have been on for the past 5 years. All blood glucose tests have come back normal for the whole period. I would just like to know what others here think as there is so much info online saying that SSRIs can cause new onset diabetes, but none of it is conclusive i,e they can't really figure out if it is the drugs or weight gain cause by them that causes the problem. Also there are differing opinions about which SSRIs are problematic or not. A recent article claims that ssris may improve diabetes whereas older tri cyclyics might cause or worsen it. It also claims that the four below have zero effect on the development of diabetes?
  • venlafaxine (Effexor); SNRI
  • fluoxetine (Prozac, Sarafem); SSRI
  • citalopram (Celexa); SSRI
  • mirtazapine (Remeron); Tetracyclic Antidepressant
Just so much confusing info out there

Thanks Owain
Click to expand...

No, SSRI's do not cause or worsen diabetes or hyperglycemia.
As far as I am aware, the only psych meds that do this are the atypical anti-psychotics (Quetiapine, Olanzapine, Aripiprazole, etc)
 
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