[Clinically significant drug-drug interactions between analgesics and psychotopics].

Combining analgesic and psychotropic drugs can lead to pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic drug interactions. Under treatment with several serotonergic substances serotonin syndrome can occur, e.g., with certain opioids and antidepressant drugs. Serotonin reuptake inhibitors also affect the serotonin level in platelets, this can raise the risk for gastrointestinal bleeding especially in combination with non-steroidal antirheumatic drugs. Anticholinergic effects and sedation are common side effects of psychotropic but also analgesic drugs with possible additive results. A wide range of interactions between analgesics and psychotropics can occure during metabolism, especially via the cytochrome-P-system. The clinical relevance of warnings on drug interactions from data banks has always to be judged for the individual patient.