![]() ![]() By 2014, that percentage had increased to more than 12 percent. In 1999, less than 8 percent of people in the United States took antidepressants. In her review, Yuet notes that almost 13 percent of Americans aged 12 and older take an antidepressant of some kind. The prevalence of SSRIs makes this research timely. Prescription medications such as warfarin (Coumadin) and clopidogrel (Plavix) will increase bleeding risk as well.” “Examples include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), aspirin, and fish oil. “There are several over-the-counter medications known to increase bleeding risk, which are potentially dangerous when administered with SSRIs,” she explained. Yuet said physicians and pharmacists are generally well aware of this risk, even if many patients tend to view SSRIs as benign. When combined with anticoagulants or antiplatelet drugs (such as aspirin), there’s an increased risk of gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding. Other side effects include serotonin syndrome, which can, in rare and extreme cases, be deadly.įinally, there are the ways that SSRIs affect bleeding. One of the more common side effects of SSRIs - and a primary reason many patients discontinue their use - is sexual dysfunction in both men and women. Other uses for these relatively low-cost drugs include treating anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorders, post-traumatic stress disorders, and certain sexual disorders.īut the list of side effects associated with SSRIs is long enough to make any prospective patient think twice. Higher serotonin levels have been associated with a higher sense of well-being, so it may not be surprising that these drugs are often used to combat depression. It’s believed that they limit the reabsorption, or reuptake, of serotonin into a cell (hence their name), which increases serotonin levels. While they’re one of the most frequently prescribed drugs to treat depression, the exact way they work isn’t understood. “I was curious to know whether specific drugs within the SSRI class had a higher likelihood of this adverse effect, so I can counsel my patients properly.” “At my family medicine clinic, most patients are aware of common adverse effects of SSRIs, but not severe adverse effects such as increased bleeding risk, which carry a boxed warning from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA),” she said. Wei Cheng Yuet, PharmD, assistant professor of pharmacotherapy at the University of North Texas and lead study author, told Healthline that patients should be aware of this information, and weigh the risks and benefits before taking SSRIs. The risk is intensified when an SSRI regimen is combined with over-the-counter pain relievers. Trade names of drugs in the SSRI class include Prozac, Celexa, Paxil and Zoloft, among others.Īccording to a research review, published in The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association this month, patients taking these antidepressants are 40 percent more likely to experience severe gastrointestinal bleeding. ![]() ![]() That’s because selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), one of the most widely prescribed classes of drugs to treat depression, have been found to carry a significantly increased risk of internal bleeding. ![]()
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