The painkiller Avinza (morphine) is safe to take with some antidepressants, but it can cause serious and even potentially fatal side effects if combined with others. You shouldn't take Avinza if you use a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI), such as tranylcypromine (Parnate), phenelzine (Nardil), selegiline (Emsam, Eldepryl), procarbazine (Matulane) or isocarboxazid (Marplan). In fact, you shouldn't take Avinza until at least two weeks have passed since your last dose of an MAOI. These drugs increase Avinza's potency, which can cause an overdose leading to slow or shallow breathing, low blood pressure, seizures, shock, coma and even death.
You should also let your doctor know if you're taking a tricyclic antidepressant, such as amitriptyline, amoxapine (Asendin), clomipramine (Anafranil), desipramine (Norpramin), doxepin (Adapin, Sinequan), imipramine (Tofranil), nortriptyline (Aventyl, Pamelor), protriptyline (Vivactil) and trimipramine (Surmontil). Your doctor may need to adjust your dose of Avinza if you're on one of these drugs, or may decide not to prescribe Avinza at all.
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Important: This content reflects information from various individuals and organizations and may offer alternative or opposing points of view. It should not be used for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. As always, you should consult with your healthcare provider about your specific health needs.