Would a Dr. ever prescribe these 2 medications together? I ask b/c I noticed at work someone was prescribed these 2 drugs but I remember my professor saying that blood pressure and anti-depressant drugs don't go together b/c I THINK the Paxil drug raises your blood pressure. Can they not just be taken together at the same time or can a person take a Paxil pill then 6 hours LATER, take the toprol pill, how does the drug interaction work? Just curious, I'm a pharm tech and sometimes when I hear stuff in class and then at work I get all confused so I don't know if I mis-heard somethign or not.
Paxil and Toprol Drug Interaction
- Thread starter PharmEm
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Yes, they can be prescribed together. There are many mechanisms of drug interactions, which you'll learn about as your schooling continues.
Most drugs that do interact can have the individual separate the doses. Most drug interactions are potential drug interactions. There's only a few big ones out there. This is not one of them.
Most drugs that do interact can have the individual separate the doses. Most drug interactions are potential drug interactions. There's only a few big ones out there. This is not one of them.
"most drug interactions are potential drug interactions"???????
hmmmm perhaps most drugs have potential drug interactions????
But...your post is absolutely right on the money. There are big interactions which have therapeutic implications and others which are academic or of interest only.
For these two drugs....depending on which drug is started after the other (ie if Paxil is at steady state & Toprol is added at a later time...) the intensity of the bp effect will vary. For both these drugs...the time of highest side effects in general will be while they reach steady state. In the case of Paxil...this can take up to 3 weeks.
That is why we caution anyone who is starting on any antidepressant or any antihypertensive about potential dizziness, driving & postural changes (for antihypertensives anyway). If you add a new drug to a pt who is already at steady state on an antihypertensive.....the side effect profile might become similar to when they began on the antihypertensive.
Does that help explain???
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The drug interaction between paroxetine and metoprolol is an academic interest. Of course you'll have to monitor the patient to determine if there is an actual affect. One of the posters suggested monitoring s/sx of dizziness and the BP. This is correct. As far as actual reporting goes, I've done a quick Pubmed search and could only find research articles that looked at in vitro affects of paroxetine and metoprolol on the liver microsomal enzymes. There is a seteroselective affect that favors paroxetine which displaces metoprolol from the binding sites which may affect metoprolol's overall affect. But the caveat is the "effect." We're not sure what "effect" the displacement will have: it can be lower BP or higher, and it may affect congition and dizziness.
But the safest bet would be to monitor the patient and have them report any unusual signs and symptoms. It is not a contraindication as far as I know to have them together.
Hope this helps bro.
But the safest bet would be to monitor the patient and have them report any unusual signs and symptoms. It is not a contraindication as far as I know to have them together.
Hope this helps bro.
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"most drug interactions are potential drug interactions"???????
hmmmm perhaps most drugs have potential drug interactions????
Yeah, that's what I meant. I was still on my first cup of coffee.
