Pain relievers don't mix well with antidepressants - Medical News From Around The World - Brief Article

Nutrition Health Review, Summer, 2003

THE NETHERLANDS -- A recent study conducted by Danish researchers has found that patients who take fluoxetine (Prozac[R]), sertraline (Zoloft[R]), paroxetine (Paxil[R]), or other selective serotonin receptor inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants should consult their doctors before taking certain over-the-counter pain medications.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as aspirin and ibuprofen, when taken on a regular basis, can combine with the SSRIs to cause dangerous gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding in some patients. Although the GI bleeding effects of the pain medications are well known, the study found that the SSRI drugs can also increase the risk and severity of bleeding.

(Source: UC Berkeley Wellness Letter, May 2003.)