A new study from The University of Texas at El Paso, highlighted by UTEP News, has shown that teens treated with antidepressants may face an unintended consequence: increased pain sensitivity in adulthood. The investigation, led by Dr. Sergio Iñiguez, focuses on Prozac's effects beyond mood regulation, shining a light on the need to understand the long-term implications of such medications on adolescent women.
According to the findings, antidepressant dispensing rates have soared, particularly after the pandemic, with young girls being prescribed these medications at significantly higher rates. A cited study found that antidepressant dispensing to young adults was rising before the pandemic but rose 63.5% faster once it broke out, especially for female patients. Prozac, formally known as fluoxetine, is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) commonly used for treating a host of mood disorders and considered safe for use in adolescents, but its long-term effects remain largely uncharted.
UTEP's study involved 20 adolescent female mice who were given water containing Prozac over two weeks. The experiment tracked increased pain sensitivity by placing the fully grown mice on a heated surface intended to cause discomfort but not pain, observing their reactions. The researchers found that those treated with Prozac as adolescents showed a higher sensitivity by licking their paws faster than mice from a control group, indicative of increased discomfort. Notably, the treated mice also showed lower body weight than those from the control group.
Dr. Iñiguez and Anapaula Themann, the doctoral student at the helm of the study, surmise that Prozac might disrupt the development of the medial prefrontal cortex, an area known for aiding in pain regulation, and could potentially elevate inflammatory markers within the brain, influencing pain perception. "Our collective body of research on this topic is starting to uncover a complex picture, where adolescent Prozac exposure can shape the brain in lasting ways," Iñiguez said, per UTEP News.
