A new case report profiles a woman who was hit with extreme fits of yawning, as many as 6 every 15 minutes, after starting an antidepressant regimen.
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For adults who take antidepressants, nearly half of them take selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), according to The New York Post, citing a new case study. The drugs have been widely used for nearly 40 years, with an abundance of studies surrounding them. However, researchers are pointing out an underreported side effect that may be mistaken for a serious health condition.
The individual focused on in the case report is a 44-year-old single mother who hails from Rwanda. After suffering a mental health crisis in the wake of the anniversary of the 1994 genocide in her country, the woman was referred for a psychiatric evaluation in May 2026. She told health professionals that she suffered from depression for nearly five months. Her symptoms included reduced appetite, fatigue, and insomnia.
Her doctors diagnosed her with a severe depressive episode and post-traumatic stress disorder. They went on to prescribe escitalopram (which goes under the brand name Lexapro) alongside psychotherapy. Doctors started the woman on the standard starting dose of 10 mg of Lexapro.
However, just days after she began taking the antidepressant, she noticed she was yawning. A lot.
The woman reported having yawning "episodes" up to six times every 15 minutes or so.
While the Woman Suffered Yawning Episodes, Her Depression Decreased
That said, the woman stressed that she never felt tired or dizzy during the episodes. She also denied having other neurological symptoms, such as feeling confused or weak. The doctors noted that even though she reported the yawning episodes, the antidepressant seemed to be doing the trick: her mood and sleep schedule were improving.
While doctors did the work of ruling out other causes of the yawning fits, which they suspected might be caused by the antidepressant, they kept her on Lexapro. Their reasoning for keeping her on the SSRI was that yawning was an odd side effect. However, it didn't impact her quality of life.
The case study reported that the woman's yawning "substantially" decreased over the following two weeks. Meanwhile, her depression decreased.
Researchers believe that yawning helps "cool down" our brains. Healthy adults yawn up to 20 times daily. However, chronic yawning may point to serious sleep-related health conditions, like narcolepsy, or severe neurological conditions like ALS and epilepsy.
Meanwhile, yawning is a known side effect of using SSRIs (which include drugs like Prozac). Researchers are still trying to zero in on why this happens. One theory is that SSRI's reduce dopamine, which prompts yawning.
Regardless, the authors of the case study stress that the woman's story points out that doctors may not need to reduce SSRI dosage if a patient is concerned about chronic yawning.
"When the symptom is tolerable and the antidepressant is effective, reassurance and monitoring may allow treatment to continue, avoiding unnecessary investigations and premature discontinuation," they advised.
