Taking antidepressants increases blood pressure in adult patients.

Is it true that taking antidepressants increases blood pressure in adult patients?

Partly. Evidence is mixed and only partial: a drug-interaction review states some antidepressants raise blood pressure in a significant proportion of takers, and two case reports describe blood-pressure increases with esketamine and duloxetine, while a small pilot study and a clinic study found no significant increase or even a decrease. No source settles the general claim for adult patients as a whole.

Verdict: CONTESTED PARTIAL · 3 sources for, 2 against · Last checked 3 Oct 2026

The private library was unavailable for some searches in this check. Missing library results are not evidence against the claim.

Safety and efficacy of esketamine nasal spray in a depressed patient who was being treated with tranylcypromine: A case report. (2020). doi.org. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.npbr.2020.02.008

Seizure Activity and Safety in Combined Treatment with Venlafaxine and ECT: A Pilot Study. (2000). doi.org. https://doi.org/10.1097/00124509-200003000-00005

Drug Interactions and Drugs That Affect Blood Pressure. (n.d.). cir.nii.ac.jp. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1524-6175.2006.05939.x

Serotonin syndrome triggered by postoperative administration of serotonin noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor (SNRI). (n.d.). cir.nii.ac.jp. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40981-019-0275-5

Low Testosterone Levels in Patients with Mild Hypertension Recovered after Antidepressant Therapy in a Male Climacterium Clinic. (n.d.). cir.nii.ac.jp. https://doi.org/10.1291/hypres.31.243