If you have had breast cancer you need to read this.
It is becoming more and more common for physicians to prescribe antidepressants such as Paxil, Effexor and others to treat hot flashes in women who have had breast cancer and need to avoid hormones. I know, Effexor is what allows me to sleep instead of sweating the night away.
Unfortunately newly released research shows that if you are taking Tamoxifen that antidepressants interfere with the mechanism that allow it to work to prevent the return of cancer.
Tamoxifen needs a liver enzyme called CYP2D6 to work to fight cancer. Unfortunately antidepressants that are classified as
SSRI's including Paxil, Prozac, Zoloft, Celexa and Lexapro use the same enzyme, and not allowing tamoxifen to do its work.
According to the research patients taking both SSRIs and tamoxifen had a 14 percent risk of tumors recurring after two years, compared with 7.5 percent for women taking the cancer drug alone. The risk increased to 16 percent among those using Paxil, Prozac or Zoloft, the
data showed.
If you have had breast cancer you need to read this.
It is becoming more and more common for physicians to prescribe antidepressants such as Paxil, Effexor and others to treat hot flashes in women who have had breast cancer and need to avoid hormones. I know, Effexor is what allows me to sleep instead of sweating the night away.
Unfortunately newly released research shows that if you are taking Tamoxifen that antidepressants interfere with the mechanism that allow it to work to prevent the return of cancer.
Tamoxifen needs a liver enzyme called CYP2D6 to work to fight cancer. Unfortunately antidepressants that are classified as SSRI's including Paxil, Prozac, Zoloft, Celexa and Lexapro use the same enzyme, and not allowing tamoxifen to do its work.
According to the research patients taking both SSRIs and tamoxifen had a 14 percent risk of tumors recurring after two years, compared with 7.5 percent for women taking the cancer drug alone. The risk increased to 16 percent among those using Paxil, Prozac or Zoloft, the data showed.