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Some antidepressants interfere with breast cancer treatment, reports the Harvard Mental Health Letter

June 2010

Three antidepressants commonly used to treat the anxiety and depression that accompany a diagnosis of breast cancer negate the protective effect of tamoxifen, a drug widely used to fight breast cancer, reports the June issue of the Harvard Mental Health Letter.

The most common type of breast cancer is fueled by the female hormone estrogen. Tamoxifen has become a standard treatment for women with such estrogen-positive breast cancer because it reduces the chances that breast cancer will recur and improves survival. Three antidepressants—paroxetine (Paxil), fluoxetine (Prozac), and bupropion (Wellbutrin)—should be avoided while taking tamoxifen because they may interfere with its anticancer effects. These antidepressants are also used to treat hot flashes and aid with smoking cessation.

Other antidepressants are less likely to interfere with tamoxifen, notes Dr. Michael Miller, editor in chief of the Harvard Mental Health Letter. Better options for women taking tamoxifen include venlafaxine (Effexor), desvenlafaxine (Pristiq), and mirtazapine (Remeron).

Read the full-length article: "Antidepressants and tamoxifen"

Also in this issue of the Harvard Mental Health Letter

  • Treating borderline personality disorder
  • Schizophrenia treatment recommendations updated
  • Antidepressants and tamoxifen
  • In Brief: The Quirky Brain: Chewing gum and memory
  • Ask the doctor: Is it better to stop smoking abruptly or gradually?
  • Ask the doctor: What is temper dysregulation disorder?
  • References for "Treating borderline personality disorder"
  • References for "Schizophrenia treatment recommendations updated"
  • References for "Antidepressants and tamoxifen"
  • References for "Chewing gum and memory"

More Harvard Health News »

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Harvard Health Publications publishes four monthly newsletters--Harvard Health Letter, Harvard Women's Health Watch, Harvard Men's Health Watch, and Harvard Heart Letter--as well as more than 50 special health reports and books drawing on the expertise of the 8,000 faculty physicians at Harvard Medical School and its world-famous affiliated hospitals.