Coumadin and Antidepressants

[psalmist]

Can anyone recommend any anti-depression medication that does not affect your coumadin? I am thinking about asking my doctor for some and would like to know what to ask for.

Thanks!

 

[Jkm7]

Your doctor really should know this. I would rely upon their recommendation. If I didn't want to listen to those sort of things (at least try) with my doctor, I'd be looking for a new doctor to take care of me. JMO.......

 

[Protimenow]

You can also go online to see which medications interact (and in which way), but you'd need to know the name of the drug first. Seth is right -- your doctor SHOULD keep on top of these things.

You can probably go to your pharmacy and ask the pharmacist about antidepressants and warfarin - they probably fill a LOT of prescriptions for this stuff, and may have the interaction info at the top of their heads.

(And regardless of whichever antidepressant you take, you should be able to determine the effect, adjust the warfarin dose, and still stay in range while you're taking the medication. FWIW - 5HTP is supposed to work for depression, is OTC, and from what I've seen has little or no effect on INR)

But it's good to talk to your physician (if you're fortunate enough to have a doctor) before starting on anything.

 

[Jkm7]

You can also go online to see which medications interact (and in which way), but you'd need to know the name of the drug first. Seth is right -- your doctor SHOULD keep on top of these things.

You can probably go to your pharmacy and ask the pharmacist about antidepressants and warfarin - they probably fill a LOT of prescriptions for this stuff, and may have the interaction info at the top of their heads.

(And regardless of whichever antidepressant you take, you should be able to determine the effect, adjust the warfarin dose, and still stay in range while you're taking the medication. FWIW - 5HTP is supposed to work for depression, is OTC, and from what I've seen has little or no effect on INR)

But it's good to talk to your physician (if you're fortunate enough to have a doctor) before starting on anything.

Where would OP get a prescription for a Rx medication without having a doctor prescribe?
Self medicating is definitely a very poor idea.

He DID mention asking his doctor about which medication.

 

[Protimenow]

I wasn't suggesting that he get a prescription medication without a doctor prescribing it . What I was suggesting was talking to a pharmacist and getting feedback on issues with Warfarin, so he would have the answers that the doctor might not have when he discusses it with his doctor. I wasn't suggesting getting a prescription medication or a prescription without a prescribing doctor. I also mentioned 5-HTP, which is available over the counter without a prescription.

(Many of the prescription antidepressants can be purchased, fairly easily, without a prescription, from India and other countries (and often at significantly lower cost). In the past, I've had to get my warfarin from India until I was able to get a physician's prescription and was able to get probably the same generic drug from a licensed pharmacy, for basically the same price. Believe me - if Seth wanted to get an antidepressant without a prescription, it wouldn't be all that difficult. If he wanted to start on 5-HTP, it's probably at his local pharmacy, next to the vitamins. I wasn't suggesting that he get a prescription antidepressant without a doctor prescribing it -- especially for medications like these that should have medical monitoring and may even benefit from blood tests to determine how liver and other organs might be impacted. Believe me - I am ABSOLUTELY NOT recommending anything other than seeing an M.D. and getting the right medicine prescribed by the doctor, filled at a licensed U.S. pharmacy, and properly monitored).

 

[lance]

Seth
Have you checked with your pharmacist for something appropriate.
Sandra

 

[LeakyUK]

I am taking Prozac (fluoxetine) without any problems.

 

[Kathy McCain]

I can't give any advice on antidepressants and coumadin, but I did try Lexapro a couple of months ago. I was taking only 5mg which believe it or not was theraputic.....BUT I had to stop because of tinnitus side effects, which was a problem.

I would discuss with my Dr, but I would do some research on my own too concerning side effects. The dr. told me that tinnitus was not a side effect, but surprise, surprise!

Good luck to you! I really hope you find someting that works for you!

Take care

 

[Kathy McCain]

I also would be very skeptical about any medications that you get on the internet. I personally WOULD NOT recommend it.

 

[Protimenow]

I also would be very skeptical about any medications that you get on the internet. I personally WOULD NOT recommend it.

I doubt that anyone would RECOMMEND medications purchased on the Internet. Many people DO buy from pharmacies in other countries for, I'm guessing, reasons that are mostly financially related. (Medications from other countries can be much less expensive than they are here in the United States). For a while, I was buying my warfarin from a pharmacy in India -- I had little choice -- no doctor to prescribe it. Being rather dubious of the quality of the medication, I tested my INR after taking it, and it was consistent with the results of the U.S. warfarin. I've learned that some pharmacies use the same foreign manufactured warfarin that I was probably getting.

Yes, there's the possibility of a drug being a counterfeit, but we should also consider that there's a whole WORLD of people out there taking the same medications that we are. Other countries probably have similar safeguards on drug quailty that we do. Foreign drug manuracturers probably (and I use this word guardedly) would take effort to assure that the medication they manufacture (possibly under a license to the patent) is biologically identical to the U.S. medications -- because they can sell a lot more of the good stuff to patients all over the world than they would to make a fast buck with ineffective stuff that could, possibly, hurt someone and put them out of business - if not in jail for a LONG time.

So -- like probably most of us, I'd probably be more comfortable with drugs obtained from a licensed U.S. pharmacy. I'm a little more suspicious of medications bought from foreign pharmacies. I wouldn't suggest that anyone buy from a foreign source. BUT, if I needed a medication that was unaffordable to me as a patented drug, I'd certainly consider going to one or more foreign sources for the medication.

 

[Bina]

Can anyone recommend any anti-depression medication that does not affect your coumadin? I am thinking about asking my doctor for some and would like to know what to ask for.

Thanks!

Hi Seth, let us know what your doctor says.
There is a good site available to check for Coumadin interactions if you want to check his suggestion for yourself.
And try to stay away from jump starting any herbals that may really mess up your INR.
Hope you are doing okay