{"id":55738,"date":"2019-02-02T12:17:13","date_gmt":"2019-02-02T06:47:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/apnlive.com\/?p=55738"},"modified":"2022-03-23T16:18:43","modified_gmt":"2022-03-23T10:48:43","slug":"anti-depressants-raise-risk-intestinal-bleeding","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/apnlive.com\/lifestyle\/anti-depressants-raise-risk-intestinal-bleeding\/","title":{"rendered":"Anti-Depressants could raise the risk of intestinal bleeding"},"content":{"rendered":"
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]If you are habitual of popping anti-depressant pills used to treat anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder, then you could be at a risk of intestinal bleeding which can range from mild to severe and can be life-threatening.<\/p>\n
Gastrointestinal bleeding, also known as gastrointestinal haemorrhage, is all forms of bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract from the mouth to the rectum.<\/p>\n
Patients taking anti-depressant medications classified as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are 40 per cent more likely to develop severe gastrointestinal bleeding, according to a research review in the Journal of the American Osteopathic Association.<\/p>\n
Although SSRIs are among the most frequently prescribed as they are relatively low-cost, effective and safe, they carry risks for gastrointestinal and intracranial bleeding — particularly when they also use common over-the-counter pain relievers.<\/p>\n
The most common and concerning interactions occur with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) including ibuprofen and naproxen, anti-coagulants like warfarin or anti-platelet medications such as aspirin and clopidogrel, the study said.<\/p>\n
“The real risk comes from the assumption that each of these drugs is relatively safe and benign. But they all carry a risk for bleeding, and that risk increases when these medications are taken concurrently,” said lead author Wei Cheng Yuet, Assistant Professor at the University of North Texas Health Science Centre.<\/p>\n
According to Yuet, a significant portion of SSRI prescriptions are written by primary care physicians.<\/p>\n
The risk of bleeding is well established but not well known among patients, she said, while encouraging physicians to take a full inventory of the medications their patients take, including over-the-counter NSAIDs.<\/p>\n
“Whenever physicians discover their patients are taking any combination of these medications, they should begin assessing the risks and benefits and determine whether there are alternative treatment plans,” Yuet said.<\/p>\n
“For example, physicians should periodically assess antidepressant use even when patients are stable on therapy.”<\/p>\n