Are SSRIs Safe with Sumatriptan?

Because of the well-documented association between migraines and major mood disorder, it is important to determine whether common treatments for these two conditions can be safely administered together. The combination of sumatriptan and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) could produce serotonin neurotoxicity, since both act on serotonin pathways. This study examined neuroendocrine, cardiovascular, thermic, and subjective responses to the serotonin 5-HT_1D receptor agonist sumatriptan (6 mg, subcutaneously) given alone and in combination with the SSRI paroxetine (20 mg/day) in 11 healthy male volunteers.

While sumatriptan significantly lowered plasma prolactin, paroxetine did not. Furthermore, the combination did not produce a th…