Medications that cause excessive sweating

The excessive sweating (or hyperhidrosis) it can have various causes. The most obvious are extreme heat or physical exertion, but there are many others, from health problems (such as hyperthyroidism or diabetes) to experiencing a stressful situation or an anxiety attack.

There are also some reasons that can sometimes go unnoticed, such as the medications we take, which is known as drug-induced hyperhidrosis. In this article we detail the Medications that cause excessive sweating.

Medications that cause excessive sweating

There are various medicines, some of them in common use, whose side effect increased sweatingalthough it doesn’t have to happen to everyone who takes them.

antidepressants

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and selective serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors are medications that are often prescribed to treat mood disorders such as depression and anxiety.

Both types of drugs have excessive sweating as a side effect and this is believed to be due to their effect on the levels of serotonin and norepinephrine in the body, some neurotransmitters that are involved in temperature regulation body and sweating.

antipyretics

Antipyretics (also called antipyretics), such as paracetamolare drugs that are used to lower the fever.

When body temperature drops, the body can compensate by promoting heat loss through sweatwhich can lead to excessive sweating as the body tries to cool down.

diabetes medications

Some medications used for diabetes, such as insulin and sulfonylureas, can cause excessive sweating as a side effect. when blood sugar levels drop in the blood (hypoglycemia). This occurs because they trigger the release of stress hormones and activate the sympathetic nervous system, leading to symptoms such as sweating, tremors, and anxiety.

Hormone therapies

The hormone treatments (such as menopausal hormone replacement therapy, contraceptives, treatments for thyroid problems, or corticosteroids) can cause excessive sweating due to effect of hormones on temperature regulation body and sweat production.

Hormones play a key role in various physiological processes, and changes in hormone levels can alter the way the body responds to changes in temperature.

opioids

Some opioid pain relieversas the morphine and oxycodonecan cause excessive sweating as a side effect due to their impact on the autonomic nervous system, which controls various involuntary functions of the body, such as sweating. Additionally, opioids can affect different parts of the brain, causing various side effects, including excessive sweating.

Sweating can also occur when a person who has been taking opioids on a regular basis stops or reduces their use, such as a withdrawal symptom.

antipsychotics

Some medicines to treat mental health problems such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and some types of depression may cause increased sweating as a side effect.

This is believed to occur because block dopamine receptors in the brain, a neurotransmitter that is involved in the Corporal temperature regulation and sweating.

Those known as “typical” or old antipsychotics (such as haloperidol, chlorpromazine or thioridazine) have anticholinergic effects, that is, they can inhibit the activity of the parasympathetic nervous systemwhich is involved in the regulation of sweating.

On the other hand, antipsychotics can affect metabolism and energy expenditurewhich causes an increase in body heat and sweating.

antibiotics

Although excessive sweating is not a common side effect of antibiotic medications (used to fight bacterial infections), it can occur in some cases.

antibiotics can upset the balance of bacteria in the body, which can cause various symptoms, including night sweats. Also, some antibiotics can raise body temperature and cause fever and, with it, increased sweating.