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I am also taking the pain medication Tramadol along with some General antidepressant can increase seizure A new study warns that the risk may increase in older adults.
Research published in journal neurology, found that older adults live private hospitalThose who were prescribed the opioid pain drug tramadol along with certain antidepressants suffered more problems. risk of seizures,
Researchers from the American Academy of Neurology have warned that Antidepressants inhibit enzymes CYP2D6 – called CYP2D6 inhibitors – may interfere with the metabolism of tramadol in the body.
These antidepressant medications include commonly prescribed fluoxetine, paroxetine, and bupropion.
Tramadol has also recently come under scrutiny because while the painkiller provides only modest relief for chronic pain, its potential side effects probably outweigh any purported benefits. According to a recent study.
Scientists warn that when the CYP2D6 enzyme is blocked, tramadol is not metabolized properly and can accumulate in the body, potentially increasing the risk of side effects such as seizures.
“When tramadol was taken with antidepressants that inhibit the CYP2D6 enzyme, we observed a modest but measurable increase in the risk of seizures,” said study author Yu-Jung Jenny Wei of Ohio State University in Columbus.
“This risk was consistent whether antidepressant medication or tramadol was started first,” Dr. Wei said.
In the study, researchers analyzed 10 years of Medicare data to identify 70,156 nursing home residents ages 65 and older who were prescribed both tramadol and antidepressants.
The participants were divided into two groups based on which drug they took first.
More than 11,100 people took tramadol first and then added an antidepressant with it, while about 59,000 people first took an antidepressant and then added tramadol with it.
Researchers found that out of every 100 people using both tramadol and antidepressants who were tracked for a year, about 16 or 20 were diagnosed with seizures.
The scientists then compared seizure rates between people who took tramadol with CYP2D6-inhibiting antidepressants, and those who took tramadol with antidepressants that did not inhibit the enzyme.
They found that people who previously took tramadol had a 9 percent higher risk of seizures when it was taken with a CYP2D6-inhibiting antidepressant, compared with people who took an antidepressant that did not inhibit this enzyme.
When researchers repeated the analysis using another opioid painkiller, hydrocodone, they found it was unlikely to increase the risk of seizures when used with antidepressants.
“These findings underscore the need for carefully prescribed practices, especially for older adults with complex health conditions,” Dr. Wei said.
“Doctors should be aware of the potential seizure risks when prescribing tramadol with antidepressant medications, especially CYP2D6 inhibitors. Given how both are commonly prescribed to older adults, these interactions may be more significant than previously thought,” she said.
Citing a limitation of the study, the researchers said the results were extrapolated based on patient prescription records, meaning it did not confirm whether participants took the medications as directed.
However, scientists have urged physicians to be alert to the risk of seizures in older patients who use “antidepressants, especially tramadol with CYP2D6-inhibiting antidepressants.”