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Are Paxil And Amphetamine Safe To Take Together?

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Posted on Thu, 16 Nov 2023
Question: If a patient is taking an SSRI such as Paxil for years with success, then adds another drug and suffers seratonin syndrome from this combination, is it safe to resume the original SSRI when symptoms subside?
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Answered by Dr. Lekshmi Rita Venugopal (52 minutes later)
Brief Answer:

Take half the regular dose of Paxil tomorrow

Detailed Answer:

Hello,

Paxil and amphetamine together have the risk of increasing serotonin levels too much in the body causing serotonin syndrome.

Paxil can also affect the metabolism of amphetamine thereby increasing its effect causing side effects such as jitteriness, nervousness, anxiety, restlessness.

About 12 hours after intake, half of the amphetamine will be eliminated from the body and the rest will be eliminated in the next 2-3 days.

It can take a bit longer in your case as you are taking Paxil and you mentioned taking a too large dose of amphetamine also.

So it is best to decrease the dose of Paxil to half of your regular dose for the next 4 days and then increase to full dose on the 5th day to minimize unwanted side effects.

Also, avoid mixing Paxil and amphetamine in the future. If you notice any fever, tremor, hallucinations, palpitation, muscle spasms-follow up with the emergency room.

Hope I have answered your query.

Take care

Regards,
Dr Lekshmi Rita Venugopal, General & Family Physician
Note: For more detailed guidance, please consult an Internal Medicine Specialist, with your latest reports. Click here..
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Arnab Banerjee
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Answered by
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Dr. Lekshmi Rita Venugopal

General & Family Physician

Practicing since :2012

Answered : 3808 Questions

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Are Paxil And Amphetamine Safe To Take Together?

Brief Answer: Take half the regular dose of Paxil tomorrow Detailed Answer: Hello, Paxil and amphetamine together have the risk of increasing serotonin levels too much in the body causing serotonin syndrome. Paxil can also affect the metabolism of amphetamine thereby increasing its effect causing side effects such as jitteriness, nervousness, anxiety, restlessness. About 12 hours after intake, half of the amphetamine will be eliminated from the body and the rest will be eliminated in the next 2-3 days. It can take a bit longer in your case as you are taking Paxil and you mentioned taking a too large dose of amphetamine also. So it is best to decrease the dose of Paxil to half of your regular dose for the next 4 days and then increase to full dose on the 5th day to minimize unwanted side effects. Also, avoid mixing Paxil and amphetamine in the future. If you notice any fever, tremor, hallucinations, palpitation, muscle spasms-follow up with the emergency room. Hope I have answered your query. Take care Regards, Dr Lekshmi Rita Venugopal, General & Family Physician