Risk Factors for Depression (Cont.)

Mental Depression

Medications

There are a number of medicines whose side effects include depression. Some of these types of medicines include:

High blood pressure medications, including beta blockers
Corticosteroids
Benzodiazepines
Antiarrhythmics
Digoxin (Digitek^®, Lanoxicaps^®, Lanoxin^®)
H2 blockers, including cimetidine (Tagamet^®), famotidine (Pepcid^®), nizatidine (Axid^®), and ranitidine (Zantac^®).

Substance Abuse

Depression is common in people who also have substance abuse. This includes alcohol abuse, cocaine abuse, and stimulant withdrawal.

Medical Conditions

There are a number of medical conditions that increase the risk of developing depression. These conditions can include:

Certain metabolic conditions, like:

Hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism
Cushing's syndrome
Diabetes

Neurologic conditions, such as:

Nutritional problems, including vitamin B₁₂ deficiency

Certain cancers, such as pancreatic cancer

A recent heart attack or heart surgery.

Hormonal Factors

Hormonal factors can increase a person's chances of developing depression. This includes hormonal changes that occur during menstrual cycle changes, pregnancy, miscarriage, the postpartum period (see Postpartum Depression), perimenopause, and menopause.

(Risk Factors for Depression Continued: Page 3)
Pages:	Previous 1 2 3 Next

Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD

Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD

Other Articles in This eMedTV Presentation