Antidepressant drug side effects.

A review of the range of side effects produced by the currently available antidepressants is presented. Frequently encountered adverse effects are emphasized, but some of the more serious rare ones are also considered. Where possible, guidelines for management of these effects are provided, although there are not invariably ways of avoiding them. Some of this discussion is based on a review of the literature; however, a large part of it grows out of the authors' personal experience in prescribing these medications. It is an unfortunate fact that the research literature does not treat these issues thoroughly, despite their great clinical importance.