Let’s Talk About Medication Management & Adverse Drug Interactions

 

Antiviral pills for Covid-19 are here. Both Pfizer and Merck have introduced medications for people who are at severe risk of developing complications due to Coronavirus. However, these antivirals don’t play nice with several other drugs…including a few antidepressants.

This highlights the importance of making sure your healthcare providers know exactly which medications and supplements you are taking to manage your depression—or any other health condition, for that matter. It also underscores the need to ask your prescriber about any surprising interactions you should know about. For example, did you know that taking ibuprofen along with SSRIs—a common category of antidepressant medication—can increase the risk of internal bleeding? Or that St. John’s Wort, a natural supplement used as a mood booster, can negate the efficacy of contraceptive pills?

At our clinic, we see patients being treated for a number of mental health, psychiatric, and chronic pain conditions. We take extra caution to ensure we ask a patient about exactly what other medications they are taking before determining whether they are a candidate for ketamine infusions. While most medications don’t interfere with ketamine therapy, there are a few that pose problems:

    • Benzodiazepines can reduce the efficacy of ketamine infusions
    • Lamotrigine, an anticonvulsant medication, is contraindicated alongside the use of ketamine
    • Any drug that impacts NMDA receptors will reduce the efficacy of ketamine since that is the primary receptor that ketamine works on

The bottom line is this: never assume that your current medications will be compatible with a new medication, and never assume that your physician knows what you’re already taking—especially if you’re taking over-the-counter medications or supplements.

Contact Tahoe Ketamine

Our ketamine clinic and IV hydration center in South Lake Tahoe treats patients struggling with a wide variety of ailments, from chronic pain and severe psychiatric disorders to general malaise, low energy…and everything in between. Contact us today to find out which of our services could help you step into the greatest version of yourself.

Contact us for more information about our IV Therapies at 530-208-9355 or by filling out the contact form below.

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