Opioids Opiods and serotonin?

[intergalacticBG]

I'm still in a kratom addiction, I've taken it daily for about 8-9 years. I also occasionally take hydrocodone.

Besides that, I've been on some form of SSRI for about 15 years. I take 20MG of prozac daily.

I'm also in a benzo taper after being on them daily for about 13 years. I'm down to 3MG of Diazepam, so an extremely low dose.

My question is: When I go to drug interaction websites, it always cautions about prozac (SSRI) and opioids. Whether it's hydrocodoen or oxycodone, it talks about the possibilty of serotonin syndrome.

I've only seem a very few number of case reports on this happen. Do Opioids affect serotonin, and to what extent? I know tramadol specifically does, but I guess I don't see how traditional opioids do.

Also, I guess kratom does to an extent, but clearly not enough as i've combined them daily for almost a decade.

 

[4DQSAR]

I'm so glad you asked this question.

I used to be prescribed amitriptyline for treatment of neuropathic pain and dihydrocodeine for visceral pain (I was in a serious accident and left in constant pain) - the mixture WORKED. But over the many years and as is the way with opioids, my GP decided that oxycodone was more appropriate. But here is the thing, the doctor also explained that they could not prescribe amitriptyline AND oxycodone because of potential interactions which I am let to believe was serotonin syndrome.

I do appreciate that you are referring to a different class of antidepressant, but interestingly, the same GP was fine with the amitriptyline being substituted for mitrazipine. So while I have no information beyond my own experience, it does seem as if doctors are concerned about the interaction between the two classes of medication.

Well done with the diazepam.