Comments on: A little bit of intestinal bleeding isn't so bad, is it?

Question: A little bit of intestinal bleeding isn't so bad, is it?

Anonymous — Thu, 01 Jun 2006 08:14:56 -0800

Lexapro and headaches, tylenol just ain't cutting it. Would it really be so bad if I took aspirin or other NSAIDs?

I was started in Lexapro about a month and a half ago for anxiety, and it seems to have worked wonders. EXCEPT I get headaches all the time, and I was told by the doctor to avoid NSAIDs (Aspirin, ibuprofin, et al). The headaches have always been there, (from my allergies, usually) but before I could take aspirin to clear them up. Now, with tylenol as my only option, they don't go away. Will it be SO horrible to take aspirin or ibuprofin on lexapro? Any other lexapro users experience with this?

By: Kirth Gerson

Kirth Gerson — Thu, 01 Jun 2006 08:24:11 -0800

Drug interactions are not something you want to experiment with, and asking here is not going to yield reliable information. If your doctor specifically said not to do it, there's probably a very good reason for not doing it.

By: mcwetboy

mcwetboy — Thu, 01 Jun 2006 08:25:53 -0800

This really isn't something you should be asking anyone but a doctor. Even if someone else can get away with doing something, it may not be safe for you to try -- people react to medications differently. If your doctor told you to avoid NSAIDs, there was a good reason why.

Go back to your doctor and explain the problem; I'm sure there are other options besides NSAIDs and acetaminophen that you're not aware of.

By: Cricket

Cricket — Thu, 01 Jun 2006 08:31:29 -0800

RxList suggests that the issue is an increased risk of bleeding (NSAIDs/aspirin increase likelihood of bleeding, particularly GI bleeding). If you've never had a clotting problem, it probably won't kill you, and the patient information says to continue low-dose aspirin regimens for preventing heart attacks/strokes. IANAD and all that.

By: caddis

caddis — Thu, 01 Jun 2006 08:32:43 -0800

Serotonin release by platelets plays an important role in hemostasis. Epidemiological studies of the case-control and cohort design that have demonstrated an association between use of psychotropic drugs that interfere with serotonin reuptake and the occurrence of upper gastrointestinal bleeding have also shown that concurrent use of an NSAID or aspirin potentiated the risk of bleeding. Thus, patients should be cautioned about the use of such drugs concurrently with LEXAPRO.

You will also notice that 24% of patients in the study reported headaches. Perhaps it is time to try a different medication. Of course this is the type of medicine you do not stop taking on your own. Discuss this with your doctor.

By: 517

517 — Thu, 01 Jun 2006 08:33:37 -0800

If you don't want to schedule a time to talk to your doctor call your pharmacist. They'll have an answer for you and it won't take you more than 5 minutes.

By: [insert clever name here]

[insert clever name here] — Thu, 01 Jun 2006 08:41:09 -0800

Its possible the headaches are related to lexapro, but I *always* had headaches before, but aspirin (usually) worked, and tylenol rarely did. I doubt its anything new - as I'm very congested and the one I have today feels just like a sinus headache. And per usual, tylenol isn't helping.

By: pierow

pierow — Thu, 01 Jun 2006 08:59:00 -0800

I had a similar problem on Lexapro when I was taking 20mg/day. Changing to 10mg/day made almost all of the side effects go away.

By: Ryvar

Ryvar — Thu, 01 Jun 2006 09:20:15 -0800

Don't chance it. Bad drug interactions are a special kind of Hell reserved for those who have offended both God and Nature. Talk to your doctor about an alternative pain medication or try a Lexapro alternative.

As an aside, both my wife and I are wondering if you know why you're on an SSRI for anxiety rather than a benzodiazepine (ie Klonopin, Valium). SSRIs can be useful for select types of anxiety (I know someone who uses Prozac for treating OCD-based anxiety), but that's not the norm - although doctors will sometimes avoid prescribing benzos because they can be addictive. In any case the final litmus test is always "is it working for you?" and if it isn't there's a shit-ton of SSRIs out there for you to choose from [insert usual anti-Paxil rant here].

By: overanxious ducksqueezer

overanxious ducksqueezer — Thu, 01 Jun 2006 09:27:37 -0800

Have you had your headaches checked out? I mention this because many migraines are mistaken for sinus or tension headaches. But if they are migraines, you're lucky aspirin works so well, and it wouldn't be worth it to me giving up aspirin. If you really need to stay on Lexapro, make your doctor give you something else for the headaches. There are a variety of prescription meds for headaches that don't have NSAIDs in em, but they need to know what kind of headaches they are.

By: Ryvar

Ryvar — Thu, 01 Jun 2006 09:28:29 -0800

Oh and to confirm what pierow just said - my wife just reminded me that she was also on Lexapro and it gave her headaches too.

By: solotoro

solotoro — Thu, 01 Jun 2006 09:59:25 -0800

Ryvar, anecdotal: I was on Prozac for general anxiety.

By: mygothlaundry

mygothlaundry — Thu, 01 Jun 2006 10:13:45 -0800

Wow, I've been on and off lexapro for a couple of years and I've been taking aspirin - and ibuprofen - all along. Nobody ever told me anything about any possible issues, and, FWIW, I haven't had any.

By: radioamy

radioamy — Thu, 01 Jun 2006 11:55:46 -0800

Yeah I never heard that about ibuprofin either. In fact it was rx'd for me recently for jaw pain by my dentist! Damnit.

Perhaps there is something your doctor can prescribe - Celabrex, Relafin?

By: mrbill

mrbill — Thu, 01 Jun 2006 12:08:27 -0800

I've been on Lexapro for almost two years now, and nobody ever said anything to me about aspirin/ibuprofen at any time, and I've never had problems with taking Advil, Tylenol, etc..