Posted by Sunnely on July 17, 2000, at 20:24:37
In reply to Thanks a bunch! + Q re: rsrch on Selegiline for SP » AndrewB, posted by S.D. on July 17, 2000, at 16:11:41
> Given the dopamine and PEA specificity of low-dose selegiline, it sure makes me wonder about the psychiatrists I've personally asked almost unanimously saying "It's totally a serotonin thing!".
The maker of selegiline had issued an advisory against prescribing the drug with antidepressants because of potential central nervous system (CNS) toxicity such as "serotonin syndrome."
As of 1997, the FDA had received 57 adverse event reports of combined treatment with selegiline and a serotonergic drug. Of these, 48 reports involved patients with Parkinson's disease. Four cases (including 2 of patients with Parkinson's disease) might have possibly met criteria for serotonin syndrome. None of the antidepressant-selegiline reactions described included myoclonus or hyperreflexia, major symptoms of serotonin syndrome. The one patient with these symptoms was taking selegiline with carbidopa-levodopa (Sinemet) and bromocriptine (Parlodel), and no antidepressant. Another adverse event indicative of serotonin syndrome was associated with the combination of selegiline and meperidine (Demerol), now contraindicated in Parkinson's disease. One death was attributed to combined selegiline-antidepressant therapy who did not have Parkinson's disease.
Although probably rare, the combined use of selegiline and dopamine agonists (releasers) have the potential to cause CNS toxicity such as "serotonin syndrome."
No such drug-drug interaction exists with selegiline and an antipsychotic drug with amisulpride (with selective D2/D3 receptor blocker).
Reference:
Richard I, et al: Serotonin syndrome and the combined use of selegiline and an antidepressant in Parkinson's disease. Neurology 1997;48(April):1070-1077.
poster:Sunnely
thread:40697
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20000717/msgs/40790.html