Dr Ahmed Abd Elbary warns against common antidepressants

In a viral TikTok video, Dr Ahmed Abd Elbary, a UK-based general practitioner, expressed his concerns over commonly prescribed medications, specifically focusing on citalopram, gabapentin, and sumatriptan. The video has gained widespread attention, amassing over 4.5 million views. Dr Abd Elbary noted that some medications don't demonstrate significant efficacy and can come with undesirable side effects. He cited citalopram, an antidepressant taken by millions, as a drug he avoids prescribing in favor of escitalopram, which he claims is more effective based on clinical studies and practical experience. Dr Abd Elbary explained that while citalopram is generally tolerated, escitalopram requires a lower dosage to achieve the same effect. Moreover, escitalopram is useful in treating not only depression but also anxiety disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). This nuanced perspective challenges the blanket recommendations often made for antidepressants. He also criticized gabapentin, a drug commonly prescribed for nerve pain and epilepsy, explaining that it lacks sufficient evidence for its efficacy in pain management and often leads to patients experiencing sedation and cognitive impairments over long-term use. According to him, doctors frequently escalate dosages without apparent benefits to the patients' pain conditions. Lastly, Dr Abd Elbary addressed sumatriptan, a medication for migraines, advocating for zolmitriptan as a superior alternative that can provide pain relief with a lower effective dose. His insights underscore a growing trend among healthcare providers to seek more effective and safer alternatives to popular but potentially problematic medications, reflecting broader discussions in medical communities about the appropriateness and effectiveness of certain treatment options.