Common Anti-Depressants and Triptans are a Bad Mix
Take two drugs that both come with major side effects, put them together, and here's what you get: one major (and very, very dangerous) illness.
In July, the FDA issued a strong warning that mixing selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) or serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRI) antidepressants with a class of migraine medications called triptans can create a life-threatening condition called serotonin syndrome. SSRIs and SNRIs increase your levels of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that is vital in dealing with depression. And triptans do the same thing.
Serotonin syndrome happens when your body has levels of serotonin that are too high, causing headaches, dizziness, rapid changes in blood pressure, hallucinations, fast heartbeat, a fever, overactive reflexes, and vomiting. If it goes unchecked it can put you in a coma and even kill you.
For the time being, the FDA is asking the drugs' makers to put warnings on the labels, and is urging to doctors to do a thorough review of any drugs their patients might already be taking before prescribing any of these three drugs. If you ask me, that's not nearly enough. But until the FDA gets its act together, you need to make sure you're protecting yourself.
If you're taking an SSRI, SNRI, or a triptan, and your doctor suggests putting you on either of the other two, ask him to suggest something that doesn't come with that kind of risk.
If you're already taking a combination of these drugs, you need to talk to your doctor immediately about what options you may have for stopping one or both medications. Don't stop taking any of them on your own, though. This can be just as bad for you, especially SSRIs, which often come with some pretty serious withdrawal side effects.
