I’m sweaty. Not just right now but always in the summer. When everyone else is kicking off Hot Girl Season with tequila shots, booty shorts, and cute lil park picnics, I’m spiraling into dread — with a side of panic. Because I am a sweaty girl on SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors, AKA antidepressants, AKA my happy girlie pills).
And I’m not alone. My FYP is basically a group therapy session for the Sweaty SSRI Club. The comments? Full of people just now realizing this is why they’re melting on a five-minute walk. I’m lucky — my STEM major roommate connected the dots and reminded me to hydrate before I passed out in a Zara dressing room. But now I’m here to be your metaphorical STEM roomie. Your SSRI spirit guide.
We’re gonna break down why SSRIs make you feel like Elphaba in the final act and what to do about it. But more importantly, we’re gonna tackle the shame. Because truly, the mortification I feel from my Lexapro-induced swamp sweat is next-level. The butt prints left on public benches. The boob sweat soaking through my favorite sundress. The literal beige foundation streaks cascading down my neck like a waterfall.
So let me say this loud and sweaty for the people in the back: You’re not gross! You’re just on medication.
Why do SSRIs make you so damn hot?!
I’m sexy because of my fine ass, but I’m hot because Lexapro is boiling me from the inside out. Betches spoke to Dr Nikita Kanani, MBE, Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer at Aneira Health, for the medical tea.
“SSRIs can interfere with the body’s ability to regulate temperature,” Dr Kanani explains. “They affect serotonin levels, which play a role in sweating, a key mechanism we use to cool down. This means that in hot weather, people on SSRIs may be more prone to overheating, dehydration, and heat exhaustion, especially if they are also anxious or physically active.”
@purelylydia It’s actually gross. The sertraline sweats are real 😭 #ssri #medication #sertraline #anxiety #ocd #summer #heatwave ♬ original sound – ʚĭɞ
You either stop sweating completely or — if you’re this lucky girlie — you sweat enough to water a community garden. Many antidepressants mess with your hypothalamus, AKA the part of your brain that handles temperature regulation. It scrambles the signal, and suddenly, you’re a shrimp on the barbie.
Studies have shown that people taking SSRIs can have their body temperature rise above 106°F (41°C). That is not okay!!! You’re easily at risk for heat exhaustion or heat stroke when you’re on these kinds of meds.
Which antidepressants cause heat intolerance?
Short answer: too many.
Longer answer: Sertraline (Zoloft), citalopram, and fluoxetine (Prozac) can all affect your body’s ability to regulate temperature and make you heat-sensitive.
It’s not just SSRIs, either. Tricyclic antidepressants (like amitriptyline), SNRIs, amphetamines (like Ritalin), and antipsychotics (like Thorazine) can all mess with your internal thermostat. Love that for us.
How to survive summer on SSRIs
I begged Dr. Kanani for advice on how to survive the summer without melting into a puddle of mental illness. Because between climate change and my decade-long depression arc, this problem isn’t going anywhere. (Mom, I’m fine. Don’t call my therapist.)
Here are the top tips from the expert:
- Stay hydrated (duh!)
- Avoid peak sun hours
- Wear breathable clothing and chill in the shade
- Exercise in the morning or evening
- Check-in with your doctor (especially if you’re on a high dose or mixing meds)
And now, some non-medical but deeply lived advice from me — a girl with no qualifications but a lot of mental illness and opinions.
Get a Stanley or a sexy water bottle
You’re already depressed — you don’t need an ugly hydration vessel making it worse. Get something cute you’ll want to be seen sipping from.
Be kind to yourself
Some days, a hot girl walk is simply not happening. I beat myself up for skipping workouts, especially during summer body szn, but sometimes surviving is the only workout I can manage.
Tell people what’s up
You don’t owe anyone an explanation, but it helps. I told my Pilates instructor, and now I get the reformer bed under the AC. I told a guy I was seeing, and he offered to always carry water bottles. Let people show up for you.
Fight the shame
It’s just sweat! I know it feels shameful, but it’s a biological function—not a moral failure. You are clean. You are not gross. You’re a hygienic queen on SSRIs. Make that your daily mantra.
Plan your wardrobe
Avoid silk and light grey unless you’re into public humiliation. I’m living in black and white linen like I’m Nicole Kidman in a prestige cult drama. Loose skirts > short ones, because the sweat will run down your legs. Just being real.
Do not leave the house without a claw clip
Mine’s leopard print. Instant relief, immediate cute. Or start the day with an adorable high pony and beat the sweat to the punch.
Embrace practicality
I wish I was a free-spirited girlie sipping wine in the park. I’m not. I’ll get heatstroke. My version of fun? Cafes with AC, shaded patios, post-sunset plans, and matinees. There will be other sunny days. Protect your peace.
Become a fan girl
At a recent wedding, I was soaked after one ABBA song. Another girl silently handed me a little hand fan. Life changing. I will never be without one again.
Get your electrolytes
Sweating = salt loss = extra brain fog. Drink something with electrolytes (not just margs). Skip the day drinking if you can — it’ll only dehydrate you more.
Keep checking in with yourself
My depression often worsens in summer — not just from the heat but from seeing everyone else thriving while I’m spiraling. There is so much shame around sweating and struggling in summer, and genuinely, it just makes everything feel so much harder when we’re on these meds for a reason in the first place. Don’t bottle it up. Journal, call your therapist, text a friend, or something. Pinky promise?
And just to state the obvious: if you’re feeling seriously unwell —physically or mentally — please check in with your doctor. Whether it’s the heat messing with your body or your meds messing with your mind, you don’t have to tough it out alone. You’re a hot girl (literally) managing your mental health in a heatwave. And that, bestie, is a power move.
