Migraine-drug users get antidepressant warning

Published: Thursday, July 20 2006 12:00 a.m. MDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — People taking migraine drugs together with some antidepressants are at risk of a life-threatening condition, health officials warned Wednesday.

Serotonin syndrome can occur when migraine headache drugs called triptans are taken with antidepressants known as selective serotonin/norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs and SNRIs.

Patients taking the drug combination can experience restlessness, hallucinations, loss of coordination, fast heart beat, rapid changes in blood pressure, increased body temperature, overactive reflexes, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, the FDA said.

Commonly prescribed SSRIs include Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil and Lexapro. The SNRIs include Cymbalta and Effexor. Triptans include Amerge, Axert, Imitrex and Zomig.

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