Fatigue is one of the most common symptoms we see on a daily basis. After we run the standard medical screening tests for fatigue, the very next thing we look at are current and recently discontinued medications, as there many medications that are known to cause fatigue.

Medications that Can Cause Fatigue

One of the things many people overlook that suffer from chronic fatigue are the medications they are currently taking (or have taken in the past) that could be causing or at least exacerbating their fatigue. Here is a quick run-down of the classes of medications that are known to cause fatigue:

• Antidepressants: including Abilify (ariprazole) , Adapin (doxepin), Anafranil (clomipramine), Aplenzin (bupropion), Asendin (amoxapine), Aventyl HCI (nortriptyline),Brintellix (vortioxetine), Celexa (citalopram), Cymbalta (duloxetine), Desyrel (trazodone), Effexor XR (venlafaxine), Emsam (selegiline), Etrafon (perphenazine and amitriptyline), Elavil (amitriptyline), Endep (amitriptyline), Fetzima (levomilnacipran), Khedezla (desvenlafaxine), Latuda (lurasidone), Lamictal (lamotrigine), Lexapro (escitalopram), Limbitrol (amitriptyline and chlordiazepoxide), Marplan (isocarboxazid), Nardil (phenelzine), Norpramin (desipramine), Oleptro (trazodone), Pamelor (nortriptyline), Parnate (tranylcypromine), Paxil (paroxetine), Pexeva (paroxetine), Prozac (fluoxetine), Pristiq (desvenlafaxine), Remeron (mirtazapine), Sarafem (fluoxetine), Seroquel XR (quetiapine), Serzone (nefazodone), Sinequan (doxepin), Surmontil (trimipramine), Symbyax (fluoxetine and the atypical antipsychotic drug olanzapine), Tofranil (imipramine), Triavil (perphenazine and amitriptyline), Viibryd (vilazodone), Vivactil (protriptyline), Wellbutrin (bupropion), Zoloft (sertraline), Zyprexa (olanzapine)
• Anti-anxiety medications: including Alprazolam (Xanax), clonazepam (Klonopin), diazepam (Valium), lorazepam (Ativan), temazepam (Restoril)
• Sedative medications
• Antihistamines: including Diphenhydramine (Benadryl), fexofenadine (Allegra)
• Proton-Pump Inhibitors: including esomeprazole (Nexium), lansoprazole (Prevacid), omeprazole (Prilosec), pantoprazole (Protonix)
• Statins & Fibrates: including Atorvastatin (Lipitor), rosuvastatin (Crestor), simvastatin (Zocor) and fenofibrate (Tricor)
• Anti-hypertensives: including ACE inhibitors: Lisinopril (Prinivil, Zestril); Calcium channel blockers: amlodipine (Norvasc); Thiazide diuretics: hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ); Loop diuretics: furosemide (Lasix); Beta-blockers: metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol), atenolol, propranolol
• Anti-psychotics: including Aripiprazole (Abilify), haloperidol (Haldol), olanzapine (Zyprexa), risperidone (Risperdal), ziprasidone (Geodon)
• Antibiotics: including Amoxicillin, azithromycin (Zithromax), ciprofloxacin (Cipro), levofloxacin (Levaquin), sulfamethoxazole/trimethroprim, cephalexin
• Diuretics

Obviously, this is a very long list. If someone suffering from fatigue is taking one or more of these medications, they should speak with their health care provider to see if alternatives exist that may help improve their fatigue. In many cases there are.

So, before you begin spending too much money on further testing to determine the root cause of your fatigue, be sure to first check your medication list to see if the culprit is right under your nose.