Antidepressants plus painkillers increase the risk of cerebral hemorrhage

Those who combine antidepressants with painkillers risk a cerebral hemorrhage
Those who combine antidepressants with analgesics have an increased risk of cerebral hemorrhage. This was the result of a study from Korea, which investigated the effects of simultaneous intake of the two groups of active ingredients. The researchers urge extra caution.

Take caution while taking antidepressants and analgesics
Researchers working with Ju-Young Shin of the Korea Institute of Drug Safety and Risk Management in Seoul found that the risk of subjects taking NSAID pain killers in addition to antidepressants increased within 30 days to suffer a brain hemorrhage. As they report in the journal "The British Medical Journal", especially men are affected.

The combination of antidepressants and analgesics increases the risk of cerebral hemorrhage. (Image: psdesign1 - Fotolia)

The results of the Korean study confirmed earlier research that the combination of antidepressants with NSAIDs, such as acetylsalicylic acid, ibuprofen or diclofenac, was associated with increased risks, the researchers said. However, they also point out that other factors that were not included in the study may have influenced the outcome. The interpretation of the study results is therefore only possible with caution. Nevertheless, people who take medication from both groups should be aware of possible complications, write Shin and his colleagues in the journal.

In an accompanying editorial on the topic, British researchers emphasize that the combination of antidepressants and analgesics is widespread, as the clinical pictures using both agents would often appear in parallel. 65 percent of people with depression also suffered from chronic pain.

"These important new insights into the risks of cerebral hemorrhage from the combined use of antidepressants and NSAIDs need to be considered in a broader context of multimorbidity, polypharmacy, and primary health care," the editorial said. "Further research is needed to extend the results over a longer period of time and to quantify the risks in different population groups." (Ag)