Antidepressants and Diabetes

     Antidepressant medications are associated with weight gain. Use of antidepressant medication for longer than 24 months has been associated with about a doubled risk for developing diabetes by Andersohn and associates as they studied 165,958 patients. This doubling of diabetes risk was true of both tricyclic antidepressants and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors.
     A recent British study of over a million patients by Katharine Barnard provided further support for the association between use of antidepressants and diabetes.
     Depression can often be addressed by simple nutritional measures such as avoiding sugar and coffee, supplementation with amino acids, fatty acids, vitamins and minerals, and avoiding allergens. Dr. Jonathan Wright found that half of his depressed patients were deficient in amino acids and improve when supplemented. Gluten intolerance is frequently associated with depression. Deficiency of both omega-3 fatty acids and also selenium is commonly found among those who are depressed.
References:
Link to recent British study on happy pills and diabetes
Andersohn, Frank, et al., Long--term use of antidepressants for depressive disorders and the risk of diabetes mellitus, Am. J. Psychiatry 2009;166:591-598.
Leung BM, Kaplan BJ, et al, "Prenatal micronutrient supplementation and postpartum depressive symptoms in a pregnancy cohort," BMC Pregnancy Childbirth, 2013 Jan 16; 13(1): 2; [Epub ahead of print].
Gosney MA, Hammond MF, et al,"Effect of Micronutrient Supplementation on Mood in Nursing Home Residents," Gerontology, 2008 May 8; [Epub ahead of print].