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Is It Safe To Take Citalopram Along With Codeine?

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Posted on Tue, 11 Feb 2014
Question: Hi, I am taking 40 mg of Citalopram daily and I have done for a number of years. I also take 30 mg of Codeine, fairly frequently. I have been Googling tonight about serotonin syndrome (a bad idea) and understand the risk of it can be increased by combining those two drugs. I must admit it has panicked me slightly and I would like to know what the risks are and whether the fact that I do not seem to have had any bad reactions (as far as I can tell) so far, means I can continue with this regime or is it a new roll of the dice each time?
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Answered by Dr. Chobufo Ditah (1 hour later)
Brief Answer: It is safe to take the two together Detailed Answer: Hi and thank you so much for trusting us with your health query. I am so sorry to hear about troubling piece of information that you found on the web. No one really censors a everything that is posted on the web and this can cause distress to some persons. I will advice that you do not panic about this just yet. Codeine is not on the list of drugs that can possibly cause serotonin syndrome. Serotonin syndrome occurs when there is excess secretion of serotonin in the system. This often results from using multiple drugs in this class or combining one with other drugs that can increase it body fluid concentration and provoke excess serotonin secretion. Codeine cannot do either of this and therefore should not be a problem. If this should happen, it would be a very rare finding in medicine and not a well documented drug interaction. However, it is good to be cautious whenever taking medications. If you should observe any abnormal symptom, please report to your doctor immediately. In all, your personal experience and the lack of substantive medical backing to support this worry justify my recommendation that it is safe to continue with this regimen. I hope you find this helpful. Thank you so much for using our services and please feel free to for more information or clarifications if need be. I wish you the best of health. Dr. Ditah, MD.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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Follow up: Dr. Chobufo Ditah (8 hours later)
Thanks, but another Dr said there may be a theoretical risk and it should be avoided. I am a bit confused? out for
doctor
Answered by Dr. Chobufo Ditah (5 hours later)
Brief Answer: Sorry about you feeling confused! Detailed Answer: Hi and thanks for following up with me. There could be a theoretical risk but there is no evidence to support this. May be in his practice, he has been able to see this but there is no enough evidence to support the recommendation. Be cautious because they are medications and we are always advised to be careful and not because I have found a potential drug interaction here. I hope this helps. Dr. Ditah, MD.
Note: For further guidance on mental health, Click here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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Answered by
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Dr. Chobufo Ditah

General & Family Physician

Practicing since :2009

Answered : 6323 Questions

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Is It Safe To Take Citalopram Along With Codeine?

Brief Answer: It is safe to take the two together Detailed Answer: Hi and thank you so much for trusting us with your health query. I am so sorry to hear about troubling piece of information that you found on the web. No one really censors a everything that is posted on the web and this can cause distress to some persons. I will advice that you do not panic about this just yet. Codeine is not on the list of drugs that can possibly cause serotonin syndrome. Serotonin syndrome occurs when there is excess secretion of serotonin in the system. This often results from using multiple drugs in this class or combining one with other drugs that can increase it body fluid concentration and provoke excess serotonin secretion. Codeine cannot do either of this and therefore should not be a problem. If this should happen, it would be a very rare finding in medicine and not a well documented drug interaction. However, it is good to be cautious whenever taking medications. If you should observe any abnormal symptom, please report to your doctor immediately. In all, your personal experience and the lack of substantive medical backing to support this worry justify my recommendation that it is safe to continue with this regimen. I hope you find this helpful. Thank you so much for using our services and please feel free to for more information or clarifications if need be. I wish you the best of health. Dr. Ditah, MD.