Newer Antidepressants May Increase Bleeding Risk
 (NY, Reuters Health, 1/13/03)

Dr. Henrik Toft Sorensen of the University of Aarhus in Denmark and team found that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) tripled the risk of having an upper gastrointestinal bleeding incident among 26,000 Danes who were taking various antidepressant drugs. SSRIs are a popular class of antidepressants - including Paxil (paroxetine), Prozac (fluoxetine) and Zoloft (sertraline) -- that keeps brain levels of serotonin high. The scientists speculate that the SSRIs may increase the risk of bleeding because they may divert serotonin to the brain and, thereby, deprive the platelets in the blood of the serotonin they need to inhibit bleeding. The study also showed a further increase in this risk of hemorrhage for patients who took both an SSRI and a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug or aspirin. When patients stopped ingesting SSRIs, the bleeding risk returned to normal.