Ankle weights generally aren't recommended for brisk walking.

Although ankle weights can increase the energy you burn while walking, they may strain the ankle joint and leg muscles, which could increase your risk of injury.

To get more out of your walking routine, simply try picking up the pace. If you're in good shape, add short bursts of jogging into your regular brisk walks. If you're less fit, alternate leisurely walking with periods of faster walking. For example, if you're walking outdoors, you could walk faster between certain mailboxes, trees or other landmarks.

If you'd like to include strength training in your fitness routine, you have plenty of options besides weights. For example, consider resistance tubing — these elastic-like tubes offer weight-like resistance when you pull on them. Your own body weight counts, too. Try pushups, pullups, abdominal crunches and leg squats.

Antibiotics and alcohol can cause similar side effects, such as stomach upset, dizziness and drowsiness. Combining antibiotics and alcohol can increase these side effects.

A few antibiotics — such as metronidazole (Flagyl), tinidazole (Tindamax), and sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim (Bactrim) — should not be mixed with alcohol because this may result in a more severe reaction. Drinking any amount of alcohol with these medications can result in side effects such as flushing, headache, nausea and vomiting, and rapid heart rate.

Also, the antibiotic linezolid (Zyvox) interacts with certain alcoholic beverages, including red wine and tap beer. Drinking these beverages with this medication can cause a dangerous increase in blood pressure.

Keep in mind that some cold medicines and mouthwashes also contain alcohol. So check the label and avoid such products while taking these antibiotics.

Although modest alcohol use doesn't reduce the effectiveness of most antibiotics, it can reduce your energy and delay how quickly you recover from illness. So, it's a good idea to avoid alcohol until you finish your antibiotics and are feeling better.

Antibiotics are commonly prescribed during pregnancy. The specific medication must be chosen carefully, however. Some antibiotics are OK to take during pregnancy, while others are not. Safety depends on various factors, including the type of antibiotic, when in your pregnancy you take the antibiotic, how much you take, what possible effects it might have on your pregnancy and for how long you're on antibiotics.

Here's a sampling of antibiotics generally considered safe during pregnancy:

• Penicillins, including amoxicillin, ampicillin
• Cephalosporins, including cefaclor, cephalexin
• Erythromycin
• Clindamycin

Certain other antibiotics are believed to pose risks during pregnancy. For example, tetracyclines can discolor a developing baby's teeth. Tetracyclines aren't recommended for use after the 15th week of pregnancy.

If an antibiotic is the best way to treat your condition, your health care provider will prescribe the safest antibiotic at the safest dosage. If you have questions or concerns about the use of an antibiotic during pregnancy, talk to your health care provider.

Antidepressant withdrawal is possible if you abruptly stop taking an antidepressant, particularly if you've been taking it longer than four to six weeks. Symptoms of antidepressant withdrawal are sometimes called antidepressant discontinuation syndrome and typically last for a few weeks. Certain antidepressants are more likely to cause withdrawal symptoms than others.

Quitting an antidepressant suddenly may cause symptoms within a day or two, such as:

• Anxiety
• Insomnia or vivid dreams
• Headaches
• Dizziness
• Tiredness
• Irritability
• Flu-like symptoms, including achy muscles and chills
• Nausea
• Electric shock sensations
• Return of depression symptoms

Having antidepressant withdrawal symptoms doesn't mean you're addicted to an antidepressant. Addiction represents harmful, long-term chemical changes in the brain. It's characterized by intense cravings, the inability to control your use of a substance and negative consequences from that substance use. Antidepressants don't cause these issues.

To minimize the risk of antidepressant withdrawal, talk with your doctor before you stop taking an antidepressant. Your doctor may recommend that you gradually reduce the dose of your antidepressant for several weeks or more to allow your body to adapt to the absence of the medication.

In some cases, your doctor may prescribe another antidepressant or another type of medication on a short-term basis to help ease symptoms as your body adjusts. If you're switching from one type of antidepressant to another, your doctor may have you start taking the new one before you completely stop taking the original medication.

It's sometimes difficult to tell the difference between withdrawal symptoms and returning depression symptoms after you stop taking an antidepressant. Keep your doctor informed of your signs and symptoms. If your depression symptoms return, your doctor may recommend that you start taking an antidepressant again or that you get other treatment.

It's best to avoid combining antidepressants and alcohol. It may worsen your symptoms, and it can be dangerous. If you mix antidepressants and alcohol:

• You may feel more depressed or anxious. Drinking can counteract the benefits of your antidepressant medication, making your symptoms more difficult to treat. Alcohol may seem to improve your mood in the short term, but its overall effect increases symptoms of depression and anxiety.
• Side effects may be worse if you also take another medication. Many medications can cause problems when taken with alcohol — including anti-anxiety medications, sleep medications and prescription pain medications. Side effects may worsen if you drink alcohol and take one of these drugs along with an antidepressant.
• You may be at risk of a dangerous reaction if you take MAOIs. When combined with certain types of alcoholic beverages and foods, antidepressants called monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) can cause a dangerous spike in blood pressure. If you take an MAOI, be sure you know what's safe to eat and drink, and which alcoholic beverages are likely to cause a reaction.
• Your thinking and alertness may be impaired. The combination of antidepressants and alcohol will affect your judgment, coordination, motor skills and reaction time more than alcohol alone. Some combinations may make you sleepy. This can impair your ability to drive or do other tasks that require focus and attention.
• You may become sedated or feel drowsy. A few antidepressants cause sedation and drowsiness, and so does alcohol. When taken together, the combined effect can be intensified.

Don't stop taking an antidepressant or other medication just so that you can drink. Most antidepressants require taking a consistent, daily dose to maintain a constant level in your system and work as intended. Stopping and starting your medications can make your depression worse.

While it's generally best not to drink at all if you're depressed, ask your doctor. If you have depression:

• You may be at risk of alcohol abuse. People with depression are at increased risk of substance abuse and addiction. If you have trouble controlling your alcohol use, you may need treatment for alcohol dependence before your depression improves.
• You may have trouble sleeping. Some people who are depressed have trouble sleeping. Using alcohol to help you sleep may let you fall asleep quickly, but you tend to wake up more in the middle of the night.

If you're concerned about your alcohol use, you may benefit from substance abuse counseling and treatment programs that can help you overcome your misuse of alcohol. Joining a support group or a 12-step program such as Alcoholics Anonymous may help.

If you're at low risk of addiction to alcohol, it may be OK to have an occasional drink, depending on your particular situation, but talk with your doctor.

Also, tell your doctor about any other health conditions you might have and any other medications you take, including over-the-counter medications or supplements. Keeping your doctor informed is important because:

• Some liquid medications, such as cough syrups, can contain alcohol
• As you age, your body processes medication differently and levels of medication in your body may need to be adjusted
• Adding a new medication may change the level of another medication in your body and how it reacts to alcohol

Weight gain is a possible side effect of nearly all antidepressants. However, each person responds to antidepressants differently. Some people gain weight when taking a certain antidepressant, while others don't.

Generally speaking, some antidepressants seem more likely to cause weight gain than others. These include:

• Certain tricyclic antidepressants, such as amitriptyline, imipramine (Tofranil) and doxepin
• Certain monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), such as phenelzine (Nardil)
• Paroxetine (Paxil, Pexeva), a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI)
• Mirtazapine (Remeron), which is an atypical antidepressant — medication that doesn't fit neatly into another antidepressant category

While some people gain weight after starting an antidepressant, the antidepressant isn't always a direct cause. Many factors can contribute to weight gain during antidepressant therapy. For example:

• Overeating or inactivity as a result of depression can cause weight gain.
• Some people lose weight as part of their depression. In turn, an improved appetite associated with improved mood may result in increased weight.
• Adults generally tend to gain weight as they age, regardless of the medications they take.

If you gain weight after starting an antidepressant, discuss the medication's benefits and side effects with your doctor. If the benefits outweigh the side effect of weight gain, consider managing your weight by eating healthier and getting more physical activity while enjoying an improved mood due to the medication.

You can also ask your doctor if adjusting the dose or switching medications might be helpful — but again, be sure to discuss the pros and cons before making such a decision.

When depression symptoms improve after starting an antidepressant, many people need to continue taking medication long term to prevent symptoms from returning.

However, in some people, a particular antidepressant may simply stop working over time. Doctors don't fully understand what causes the so-called "poop-out" effect or antidepressant tolerance — known as tachyphylaxis — or why it occurs in some people and not in others.

There also can be other reasons an antidepressant is no longer working for you, such as:

• Worsening depression. It's common for depression symptoms to return or worsen at some point, despite treatment. Called breakthrough depression, symptoms may be triggered by stress or appear with no apparent cause. The current dose of medication you're taking may not be enough to prevent your symptoms when depression gets worse.
• Another medical condition. Underlying health problems, such as hypothyroidism, can cause or worsen depression.
• A new medication. Some medications for unrelated conditions can interfere with the way your body breaks down and uses antidepressants, decreasing their effectiveness.
• Undiagnosed bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder, formerly called manic-depressive disorder, causes periodic mood swings. While an antidepressant is sometimes used to treat bipolar disorder, a mood-stabilizing or antipsychotic medication is generally needed along with an antidepressant to keep emotional highs and lows in check.
• Age. In some people, depression gets worse with age. As you get older, you may have changes in your brain and thinking (neurological changes) that affect your mood. In addition, the manner in which your body processes medications may be less efficient. You're also likely to be taking more medications. All of these factors can play a role in depression.

In most cases, depression symptoms get better with adjustments to medication. Your doctor may recommend that you change the dose of your current antidepressant, change to another antidepressant or add another antidepressant or other type of medication to your current treatment. Psychological counseling (psychotherapy) also may help.

Because there are so many reasons depression treatment can stop working, you may need to see a medical doctor who specializes in diagnosing and treating mental illness (psychiatrist) to figure out the best course of action.

Sexual side effects are common with antidepressants in both men and women, so your concern is understandable. Effects on sexual function can include:

• A change in your desire for sex
• Erectile problems
• Orgasm problems
• Problems with arousal, comfort and satisfaction

The severity of sexual side effects depends on the individual and the specific type and dose of antidepressant. For some people, sexual side effects are minor or may ease up as their bodies adjust to the medication. For others, sexual side effects continue to be a problem.

Antidepressants with the lowest rate of sexual side effects include:

• Bupropion (Wellbutrin XL, Wellbutrin SR)
• Mirtazapine (Remeron)
• Vilazodone (Viibryd)
• Vortioxetine (Trintellix)

Antidepressants most likely to cause sexual side effects include:

• Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), which include citalopram (Celexa), escitalopram (Lexapro), fluoxetine (Prozac), paroxetine (Paxil, Pexeva) and sertraline (Zoloft).
• Serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), which include venlafaxine (Effexor XR), desvenlafaxine (Pristiq) and duloxetine (Cymbalta).
• Tricyclic and tetracyclic antidepressants, such as amitriptyline, nortriptyline (Pamelor) and clomipramine (Anafranil).
• Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), such as isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil) and tranylcypromine (Parnate). However, selegiline (Emsam), an MAOI that you stick on your skin as a patch, has a low risk of sexual side effects.

If you're taking an antidepressant that causes sexual side effects, your doctor may recommend one or more of these strategies:

• Waiting several weeks to see whether sexual side effects get better.
• Adjusting the dose of your antidepressant to reduce the risk of sexual side effects. But always talk with your doctor before changing your dose.
• Switching to another antidepressant that may be less likely to cause sexual side effects.
• Adding a second antidepressant or another type of medication to counter sexual side effects. For example, the addition of the antidepressant bupropion may ease sexual side effects caused by another antidepressant.
• Adding a medication to improve sexual function, such as sildenafil (Viagra), tadalafil (Cialis) or vardenafil (Levitra, Staxyn). These medications are approved by the Food and Drug Administration only to treat sexual problems in men. Limited research suggests that sildenafil may improve sexual problems caused by antidepressants in some women, but more information is needed on its effectiveness and safety in women.

Stopping medication because of sexual side effects is a common problem, and for most people this means depression returns. Work with your doctor to find an effective antidepressant or combination of medications that will reduce your sexual side effects and keep your depression under control.

If you're pregnant or trying to become pregnant, tell your doctor, as this may affect the type of antidepressant that's appropriate.

Be patient. Everyone reacts differently to antidepressants, so it may take some trial and error to identify what works best for you.

Anxiety doesn't cause long-term high blood pressure (hypertension). But episodes of anxiety can cause dramatic, temporary spikes in your blood pressure.

If those temporary spikes occur frequently, such as every day, they can cause damage to your blood vessels, heart and kidneys, as can chronic high blood pressure. In addition, people who are anxious or stressed are more likely to engage in unhealthy habits that can raise blood pressure, such as:

• Smoking
• Drinking alcoholic beverages
• Overeating

Some medications to treat anxiety and other mental health conditions, such as serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), can also increase your blood pressure.

If you have trouble controlling your anxiety or if anxiety interferes with daily activities, talk to your doctor or a mental health provider to find an appropriate treatment.

Aortic valve calcification is a condition in which calcium deposits form on the aortic valve in the heart. These deposits can cause narrowing at the opening of the aortic valve. This narrowing can become severe enough to reduce blood flow through the aortic valve — a condition called aortic valve stenosis.

Aortic valve calcification may be an early sign that you have heart disease, even if you don't have any other heart disease symptoms.

Calcification and stenosis generally affects people older than age 65. When it occurs in younger people, it's often caused by:

• A heart defect that's present at birth
• Other illnesses, such as kidney failure

Aortic valve sclerosis — thickening and stiffness of the valve and mild aortic calcification — usually doesn't cause significant heart problems, but requires regular checkups to make sure your condition isn't worsening. If the valve becomes severely narrowed (stenotic), aortic valve replacement surgery may be necessary.