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Hi, ayear and half ago i had a breast cancer surgery and after that i had a removal of ovaries surgery . my Dr. told me to take Nolvadex and Seroxat together , and ive been taking that for one year and ahalf , now my Dr. told me that i cannt take the two together because Seroxat will cancel Novaldex . is it true
please help

[SueYoung55]

You're talking about Tamoxifen and Paxil used at the same time, yes? It has been proven that certain SSRI's which is what Paxil is do stop the benefits of tamoxifen.

From Pharmacist's Letter's: July 2009, vol 25, no. 7

"You'll see new warnings not to combine tamoxifen with certain SSRIs..paroxetine, fluoxetine, and sertraline. .... Women have a higher risk of breast cancer recurrence if they take tamoxifen along with paroxetine, fluoxetine, or sertraline... but NOT citalopram, escitalopram, or fluvoxamine. .....About 30% of women on tamoxifen also take an SSRI for depression or hot flashes. FDA will add new warnings..and Medco is alerting physicians if a woman on tamoxifen gets paroxetine, fluoxetine, or sertraline. Suggest using one of the other SSRIs or venlafaxine if needed for depression or hot flashes."

And then there is this study that was announced at this years ASCO conference:

Conflicting Data on Breast Cancer, Tamoxifen and Antidepressants Emerge
Study Results Differ During the American Society for Clinical Oncology Meeting on Depression Drugs' Effect on Breast Cancer Recurrence Risk
By CHARLES BANKHEAD
MedPage Today Staff Writer
ORLANDO, Fla., May 31, 2009

Thousands of breast cancer survivors take antidepressants to ward off hot flashes caused by tamoxifen, a chemical agent that helps prevent the disease from returning.

Thousands of breast cancer survivors take antidepressants to ward of hot flashes caused by tamoxifen -- a chemical agent that helps prevent the disease from returning.
(ABC News Photo Illustration)
But some researchers worry about the mix: They think some popular antidepressants may keep the anti-cancer drug from working as well as it should.
Doctors and patients hoped two large studies would resolve the issue, but they were disappointed this weekend: Scientists in the United States and the Netherlands reached opposite conclusions at the annual meeting of the American Society for Clinical Oncology.
The antidepressants, known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), are a class of drugs that includes fluoxetine (best known under the brand name Prozac) and paroxetine (Paxil).

One particular group of these antidepressants works by inhibiting an enzyme known as CYP2D6, which coincidentally helps the body process tamoxifen. Researchers want to know if the potential for conflict between the two agents yields real problems for breast cancer survivors.
In the U.S. study, an analysis of medical records of almost 1,000 breast cancer patients showed that use of CYP2D6 inhibitors almost doubled the risk of breast cancer recurrence within two years after patients started tamoxifen.
The records showed a two-year breast cancer recurrence rate of 13.9 percent in women taking tamoxifen along with a CYP2D6 inhibiting antidepressant, compared with a 7.5 percent recurrence rate among women taking tamoxifen alone, according to Dr. Ronald E. Albert of Medco Health Solutions in Franklin Lakes, N.J.
In contrast, Dutch investigators reported just the opposite when they looked at the records of 1,962 breast cancer patients who took tamoxifen between 1994 and 2006. They found no evidence that CYP2D6 inhibitors increased the risk of breast cancer recurrence in women taking tamoxifen.
In fact, during more than four years of follow-up, the group taking CYP2D6 antidepressants had a recurrence rate of 13.3 percent, compared to 14.6 percent among women who took tamoxifen alone or took a CYP2D6 inhibitor for less than 60 days while on tamoxifen.

Ps... you could switch to Lexapro which works fine with Tamoxifen because though it's an SSRI, it's also escitalopram.

Best wishes

[falshud]

Thank U 4 ans. me< my Dr. swich the Seroxat ( paraxetine ) to Lyrica ( pregabalin ) is it ok
Plz reply

[SueYoung55]

I read about it and it appears it is not an SSRI. Did you have a specific reason for going on Lyrica? I didn't like the side effects that are possible with it but if you're not having issues, then rock on :)

[falshud]

They told me that this one is the substituent of paraxetine
ps ... i did not take it