Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors and Night Sweats in a Primary Care Population

OBJECTIVE: Several small published case reports have suggested that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) can cause night sweats. The purpose of this study was to investigate this possibility further and to explore possible associations between night sweats and other commonly prescribed medications. DESIGN: Cross-sectional, secondary data analysis. SETTING: Data were obtained during the Oklahoma Longitudinal Assessment of the Health Outcomes of Mature Adults, a longitudinal cohort study carried out in the Oklahoma Physicians Resource/Research Network. PARTICIPANTS: 413 adult primary care patients aged 65–94 years. INTERVENTIONS: Current regular use of one of 35 classes of medication. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: At least moderate night sweats during the prior month. RESULTS: A total of 38 (9.2 %) reported night sweats. Age, gender, body mass index, and total number of medications taken regularly were not associated with night sweats. After adjusting for age and gender, SSRIs (odds ratio [OR] 3.01; 95 % confidence interval [CI] 1.26–7.19), angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) (OR 3.44; 95 % CI 1.36–8.69), and thyroid hormone supplements (OR 2.53; 95 % CI 1.24–5.15) were the only classes of medications associated with night sweats. CONCLUSIONS: Use of SSRIs may well be associated with night sweats in older patients. Associations found between night sweats and ARBs and thyroid supplements warrant further study.