Question posted by pbryant358 on 7 May 2011
Last updated on 7 May 2011
The prescription drugs I am presently taking are: Tamoxifen (20 mg/day), Effexor (75/day), Savella (50 mg-2x/day), and Vitamin D (50,000 iu/week).
The vitamins are: Multivitamin (1x/day), Calcium with Vitamin D (600 mg-500 iu/1x/day), Vitamin E (400 iu-1x/day), Vitamin C with Rose Hips (500 mg-1x/day).
Hey pbryant,
I entered your medications into the interactions checker and the results did not include any problems with the vitamins and the other medications you take.
However, there is an interaction between the Savella and the Effexor which involves the possibility of serotonin syndrome. The symptoms of serotonin syndrome may include mental status changes such as irritability, altered consciousness, confusion, hallucinations, and coma; autonomic dysfunction such as tachycardia, hyperthermia, diaphoresis, shivering, blood pressure lability, and mydriasis; neuromuscular abnormalities such as hyperreflexia, myoclonus, tremor, rigidity, and ataxia; and gastrointestinal symptoms such as abdominal cramping, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
This a rare condition and is probably not a problem if the meds are prescribed by the same doctor or all your doctors know what you are taking, but just thought you should know.
The only other interactions involve the tamoxifen and food and the savella and alcohol. You should not eat soy containing products while on tamoxifen. You should not consume alcohol in excess with the savella due to the possibilty of increased liver damage.
Maybe that was more than you wanted to know but I thought that I should share everything I discovered.
Best wishes,
Laurie
Thanks Laurie. That was very informative. I did know most of that and have been cautious. The interaction between Savella and Effexor is the most concerning; however my doctor feels that it is safe since I am only taking a low dose of Effexor and he is continuously monitoring. Because of the potential interaction, I thought maybe I should take the Savella and Effexor at different times of the day. I don't know if that matters or not. Also, while the interaction between the other medications and vitamins are little or none, I wonder if taking several of them at the same time could reduce the effectiveness of any of them.
Taking the Effexor and Savella at different times during the day won't matter as they reach a steady state in the blood over time and then stay at that level. The vitamins won't effect the absorption of the other medications as far as I can tell. If you want, contact the pharmacist and ask, they are the real experts.
Laurie
effexor, vitamin d, vitamins, multivitamin, tamoxifen, savella, prescription
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