Ranj Singh warned viewers on Morning Live that people taking sertraline and other SSRIs should watch for suicidal thoughts and sexual dysfunction. The UK government has now introduced new safety measures for antidepressant patient information after a review of how those risks are explained in PILs.
Singh said there are two main side effects people should know about. He told viewers: "Lots of people take antidepressants for various reasons. We know that they can be life-saving, but we also know that some of them have potentially significant side effects."
Morning Live and sertraline
He added: "This is just a reminder of that for a specific type of antidepressant called an SSRI. We're talking about medications like fluoxetine, sertraline and citalopram." Singh said people should speak to a healthcare professional if they notice symptoms and should not change medication on their own. "It's just a reminder that people need to be aware of this and if you happen to be having any of these symptoms, please speak to a healthcare professional. You should not be making changes to your medication off your own back. Just be aware of it, doesn’t mean you’re going to get it, but if you do, please speak to someone," he said.
The UK government's review
The government said the changes follow completion of a detailed review involving patients and their families. That review examined how suicidal thoughts, suicidal behaviours and persistent sexual dysfunction are communicated in antidepressant patient information leaflets. The new measures include a boxed warning in the PIL, a new patient card and a supporting safety leaflet.
The term post SSRI sexual dysfunction, or PSSD, is also being added to the PIL for some antidepressant medications. The change applies to leaflet information rather than to every antidepressant at once, with the government saying only that some medications will receive the new wording.
What changes for patients
For people taking SSRIs such as fluoxetine, sertraline and citalopram, the practical change is in the paperwork that comes with the medicine. The warning information will be more prominent, and the added card and ancillary leaflet are meant to sit alongside the standard patient leaflet so the risks are easier to spot when treatment starts or changes.
The NHS says SSRIs are the most widely used type of antidepressants and are thought to work by increasing serotonin in the brain. It says sertraline can be used for depression, OCD, PTSD and social anxiety disorder, while citalopram and fluoxetine are also used for depression and other conditions. That makes the wording change relevant well beyond one medicine, because the same class is used across several common diagnoses.
The key issue is the balance Singh described: these medicines can be life-saving, but they can also bring side effects that some people need to watch closely. The new boxed warning and patient card do not replace medical advice; they make the risk harder to miss for patients reading the leaflet and for prescribers discussing the medicine with them.
