Should people who take SSRIs use supplementary medications specifically for the prevention of bone loss?
I cannot make blanket recommendations for all patients taking SSRIs because I think the literature is still too preliminary. Recommendations for calcium supplements and for other anti-osteoporosis drugs should be based on current indications. Calcium supplements are a relatively benign intervention, and I generally have a low threshold for suggesting them. For example, most guidelines suggest consideration of calcium supplementation for peri- and postmenopausal women. I think that is a relatively simple thing to do. However, I am not yet convinced that the existing literature about SSRIs justifies having everyone on an SSRI be told they should take calcium supplements.
