![Advil and Aspirin are believed to reduce the effectiveness of certain antidepressants](https://img.passeportsante.net/1000x526/2014-03-24/i38120-l-advil-et-l-aspirine-reduiraient-l-efficacite-de-certains-antidepresseurs.jpg)
May 4, 2011 – Regular use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as Advil® or Aspirin®, may reduce the effectiveness of certain antidepressants, according to a US study of 4,000 people with depression1.
The researchers first studied, in mice, the combination of NSAIDs and antidepressants from the SSRI class (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, such as Prozac® or Seroplex®). They found that NSAIDs inhibited the effect of these antidepressants. They then verified this observation in humans by examining data from a clinical trial in patients with depression.
According to their results, taking anti-inflammatory drugs would decrease the effectiveness of SSRIs by around 25%. In fact, 54% of people with depression who did not take anti-inflammatory drugs saw their symptoms improve thanks to antidepressant treatment, compared with only 40% of those who took anti-inflammatory drugs together (taken at least during the last 12 weeks). ).
The mechanisms behind this interaction are unclear, but antidepressants are known to work by indirectly increasing the amount of a protein in the brain called p11. Conversely, anti-inflammatory drugs seem to block the action of p11.
Although these results deserve to be confirmed by controlled studies, they could explain why antidepressants are ineffective in some people, especially in the elderly, often treated concomitantly for arthritis with anti-inflammatory drugs.
Celia Chabout– PasseportSanté.net
1. Warner-Schmidt JL, Vanover KE et al. Antidepressant effects of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are attenuated by antiinflammatory drugs in mice and humans, Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2011 Apr 25.