What medications turn off emotions?

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Overview

Emotional blunting is the clinical term for difficulty experiencing and expressing the full range of emotions. It can apply to so-called negative emotions, like sadness, and positive emotions, like joy.

Many people call this symptom “turning off” emotions, even though it may not be an accurate term.

If you’re experiencing emotional blunting, you may feel:

• numb or indifferent
• disconnected from your own feelings
• unable to show how you’re feeling
• challenged when trying to identify or understand the emotions of others
• unable to emotionally connect with others
• severe lack of motivation and drive (avolition)

These symptoms may last for a short time, happen during specific situations, or be prolonged experiences.

Emotional blunting may be a sign of some mental health conditions, like schizophrenia, substance use disorder, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). For some people, it may also be a side effect of some medications.

Do antidepressants numb your emotions?

Antidepressants do not relieve your symptoms by numbing emotions. But emotional blunting may be a side effect of some antidepressant medications. Not everyone may experience this side effect.

Research suggests that the use of certain antidepressants is commonly associated with emotional blunting or “turned off” emotions.

For example, in a 2022 observational study, almost three-quarters of participants with depression said they experienced severe emotional blunting. Of those people, 45% thought their antidepressant medication was the cause. Others in the study associated emotional blunting with depression itself.

A 2021 research paper suggested that about half of all people with depression who use antidepressants have experienced emotional blunting as a side effect.

In a 2018 study on the side effects of antidepressants, 71% of people using them reported the side effect of “feeling emotionally numb.”

Finally, a 2023 study suggests that the reason antidepressants may numb some people’s emotions is that these medications decrease reinforcement learning — learning from your environment — which may make identifying and expressing emotions more challenging.

What antidepressants cause emotional blunting?

Not all antidepressants are created equal. They may relieve your symptoms in different ways, and not all have a link with turned-off emotions.

The most common antidepressants include:

• Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs): These include isocarboxazid (Marplan) and phenelzine (Nardil). MAOIs work by raising the levels of dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine (chemicals that affect your mood) in your brain.
• Serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs): Examples include venlafaxine (Effexor) and duloxetine (Cymbalta). These medications raise levels of serotonin and norepinephrine in your brain.
• Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs): These include sertraline (Zoloft) and escitalopram (Lexapro). These raise the amount of serotonin in your brain.
• Serotonin modulators: Examples include nefazodone (Serzone) and trazodone (Molipaxin). These medications shift how your body processes and uses serotonin.
• Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs): Examples include medications like amitriptyline (Elavil) and imipramine (Tofranil). These are often an option when SSRIs haven’t worked.
• Atypical antidepressants: These include bupropion (Wellbutrin) and mirtazapine (Remeron). They also balance your brain’s chemistry but may do this using different mechanisms. For example, Wellbutrin boosts dopamine and norepinephrine.

Research from 2021 suggests that antidepressants may be more likely to cause emotional blunting if you’re taking a high dose.

If you’re concerned about numb emotions, talk with your doctor about adjusting the dose or switching to another medication. Changing the dose or stopping antidepressants without the supervision of a health professional is not recommended.

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Do anti-anxiety medications turn off emotions?

Certain anti-anxiety medications may lead to emotional blunting in some people. For example, a doctor often prescribes SSRIs to treat anxiety disorders and, as discussed above, may lead to numb emotions.

Doctors sometimes use benzodiazepines like alprazolam (Xanax) for the short-term treatment of anxiety. These medications may cause drowsiness, which may, in turn, affect your thinking processes and emotions.

There’s not much additional research on emotional blunting as a side effect of other types of anti-anxiety medications. Each person may respond to medication differently, and some people may find that their anxiety medication affects their emotions.

What other medications affect your emotions?

Other medications that may contribute to emotional blunting in some people include antipsychotics. Research from 2019 suggests that bipolar disorder and schizophrenia medications, like clozapine (Clozaril) or risperidone (Risperdal), may cause emotional numbing.

Other medications, such as hormonal birth control and beta-blockers, may cause depression in some people. Emotional blunting can be a symptom of depression.

Not all people taking these medications will experience emotional blunting. Everyone responds to medication differently.

If you’ve noticed that your medication is affecting your emotions, it can be helpful to speak with your doctor. They may adjust your dose of medication or suggest a different type.

Summary

Emotional blunting is a severe difficulty in experiencing and expressing emotions. It can be a symptom of a mental health disorder, like schizophrenia, or a side effect of medications that treat depression, anxiety, and other conditions.

Antidepressants, such as some SSRIs and SNRIs, are commonly associated with emotional blunting. But not everyone using these medications experiences numb emotions.

If you think your medication may be numbing your emotions, a healthcare professional may want to adjust the dosage or prescribe another medication.

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