“Will anesthesia affect my antidepressants?”
I have been on antidepressants for a few years now, which have finally managed my depression. I am having a procedure done this week and will be given anesthesia. I am very afraid the anesthesia will have an effect on my antidepressants. Is this possible?
6 Answers
No
You should consult with your doctor, because there are drugs that must be stopped before anesthesia. Others, no.
Your depressants will affect the anesthesia, not so much the reverse.
Not really. While anesthetics do affect brain chemistry, it's transient and wouldn't affect how your antidepressants exert their action.
There are no known contraindications to patients on antidepressants having anesthesia and surgery. Usually, medications for depression may be continued right up until surgery, and may be resumed right afterwards. Many patients on these medications have surgery daily across the country and do well.
Not that I am aware of. Although, if you are taking an SSRI type of antidepressant, there are some rare interactions with anesthetic agents and anti-nausea medication. That being said, I have done thousands of cases with patients on SSRIs and have rarely seen this to be a problem.
