Depression and Captopril: An Overview
There are several possible side effects for people taking
captopril (available as
Capoten® and
generic captopril).
Depression appears to be a rare complaint in people taking the drug. In clinical studies, depression was reported in less than 1 percent of people who took the medicine. Given how common depression is in the general population and how rare a complaint it is in people who take captopril, it is difficult to determine whether depression is actually caused by the medicine itself, by other specific factors, or by a combination of factors.
Depression and Captopril: What to Look For
While depression may not be a commonly reported side effect of captopril, it is extremely common in society today. In fact, in any given one-year period, 9.5 percent of the population (about 18.8 million American adults) suffer from depression. Therefore, knowing the
symptoms of depression can be helpful.
Possible symptoms of depression may include:
- Persistent sad, anxious, or "empty" mood
- Feelings of hopelessness and pessimism
- Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, and helplessness
- Loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies and activities that were once enjoyed, including sex
- Decreased energy, fatigue, and being "slowed down"
- Difficulty concentrating, remembering, and making decisions
- Insomnia, early-morning awakening, or oversleeping
- Appetite and/or weight loss or overeating and weight gain
- Thoughts of death or suicide, suicide attempts
- Restlessness and irritability
- Persistent physical symptoms that do not respond to treatment, such as headaches, digestive disorders, and chronic pain.
Keep in mind that there are other conditions that can share similar symptoms with depression.
