Self medicating marijuana ssri interaction dangers

[Cannabis Rehab Admin]

Here is a very interesting article about the potential interactions between marijuana and ssri’s like Paxil and Prozac, it says that smoking marijuana while taking ssri anti depressants, can increase the levels of THC in your system by up to four times. As the body gives priority to processing the ssri’s over cannabis, which allows the levels of THC in your system to mount up. This could significantly increase any negative effects that cannabis may have on your body. And experts agree that self medicating with marijuana while taking anti depressants is not a good idea. I asked my doctor are there any potential interactions between ssri’s and marijuana, when I was prescribed them and he said that there were none that he knew of, this begs the question how many other drugs have potential interactions with marijuana that aren’t known about?

SSRI’s (Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) include the medications.

paroxetine (Paxil, Seroxat, Sereupin, Aropax, Deroxat, Rexetin, Xetanor, Paroxat)
escitalopram (Lexapro, Cipralex, Esertia)
fluvoxamine (Luvox, Fevarin, Faverin, Dumyrox, Favoxil, Movox)
sertraline (Zoloft, Lustral, Serlain)
zimelidine (Zelmid, Normud)
citalopram (Celexa, Cipramil, Dalsan, Recital, Emocal, Sepram, Seropram)
fluoxetine (Prozac, Fontex, Seromex, Seronil, Sarafem, Fluctin (EUR), Fluox (NZ), Depress (UZB), Lovan (AUS))
dapoxetine (no trade name yet; not yet approved by the FDA)

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/...1-24-tyson.htm

[Kat]

I had no idea of that, I know loads of people who smoke the drug and take ssri anti depressants. I better let them know.

[Cannabis Rehab Admin]

Here’s another post on how marijuana can interact with other drugs. Marijuana and interactions with other drugs.

[Cannabis Rehab Guest]

I took Paxil (paroxetine) for a few years while heavily smoking marijuana. All I can say is don’t, my brain is now totally burnt out, my memory is total garbage and I struggle to think clearly. It’s been like having a lobotomy, I feel like half my brain has been scooped out.

[Cannabis Rehab Guest]

You have to be careful mixing marijuana with other drugs, many people think it will automatically be safe because it's a plant or whatever but this isn't always the case.

[MadeInChina]

Wow.

Very very grateful for this information.

Thank you.

[Cannabis Rehab Admin]

No probs, I don’t think it’s widely known, from what I have heard there are a lot of people out there who use cannabis and take SSRI’s like Prozac, Paxil, etc, but apparently there can be a reaction so it’s definitely something those who smoke pot should be aware of.

All the best,

[Cannabis Rehab Guest]

Now I know why I get higher more now than usual. And get more depressed. It never occurred to me that my paxil could be messing with my buzz.

[Cannabis Rehab Guest]

You have to be really careful mixing your drugs.

[Cannabis Rehab Admin]

The other problem is your pharmacy can’t always tell you what the interactions with illegal drugs may be and you can’t always check them on drug interaction websites as they usually don’t have the data either.

[Cannabis Rehab Guest]

The other problem is your pharmacy can’t always tell you what the interactions with illegal drugs may be and you can’t always check them on drug interaction websites as they usually don’t have the data either.

Marijuana isn't illegal everywhere. There's no excuse for ignorance on the part of your pharmacist if it isn't illegal in your area. You should be able to have an open, honest conversation with your pharmacist and if this is not the case, you need to take your business elsewhere. There is enough research out there to at least give patients an overview of potential risks. If your pharmacist can't give you this overview, you should file a complaint. Ignorance is unacceptable when it comes to people's health whether it's a taboo subject or not. I'm sure your pharmacist could tell you plenty about the illegal use of other drugs too.

[Cannabis Rehab Admin]

No you are right, in fairness it’s not illegal everywhere, there are a few parts of the world where it has been decriminalised or is available if you get a cannabis card or whatever, although it’s still far from in the same category as an FDA approved drug or whoever it is that deals with that sort of thing in your part of the world, pharmacists deal with pharmaceutical grade medicine, not stuff grown by who knows who that you roll in a piece of paper and smoke, not having a go at the medical marijuana thing but they are slightly different things and not necessarily a pharmacists sort of area, the kind of interactions they are most likely to advise you on is other pharmaceutical medicine, so personally I wouldn’t be surprised if many don’t know about drugs which aren’t FDA approved or whatever, which is why I said you “can’t always”, that said I am sure there probably are many who could advise on this sort of thing and perhaps the likely hood may vary depending on the part of the world concerned, maybe it has a high priority on the training syllabus in Cali or British Columbia or something, like I say these things may vary depending on your part of the world, but I for one know that I have spoke to medical professionals who haven’t known much about this sort of area, these days I like to do a little of my own research but that’s just because it has proved to be beneficial on more than one occasion.

All the best,