Interactions Between 'Street Drugs' And Prescribed Psychotropic Drugs printable pdf download

Interactions Between ‘Street Drugs’ and

Prescribed Psychotropic Drugs

Pharmacy Dept

There is limited information available to guide safe and effective prescribing in this area. A summary is given below.

Heroin/

Cocaine, Ecstasy,

Cannabis

Alcohol

methadone

Amphetamines

•Causes sedation

•Cocaine can cause blood vessels to

•Both can cause sedation and

Cannabis use:

constrict so reducing the blood

in higher doses, reduce the

Long term or binge drinking

•Increases the risk of developing

supply to the heart (heart attack) and

respiratory rate (this decreases

can:

schizophrenia

brain (stroke).

the oxygen supply to the

•Damage your liver (will affect how

General

•Can worsen existing psychotic

brain).

•Cocaine and amphetamine can

your body processes other

Considerations

symptoms such as voices and paranoia

raise blood pressure and cause

•Methadone prolongs the

medication).

Cannabis can cause:

arrhythmias

cardiac QTc interval which can

•Damage your brain (affect your

•Weight gain, sedation and tachycardia

lead to arrhythmias (abnormal

•Ecstasy can cause dehydration &

memory and ability to think

(a fast heart beat).

heart rhythm).

hyperthermia (overheating).

clearly).

First Generation

•Antipsychotics can reduce the high from street drugs

Antipsychotics

•If you take ecstasy you may be more likely to develop movement disorders associated with first generation antipsychotics.

(‘typicals’)

•You may be more likely to experience tachycardia (fast heart beat), arrhythmias (abnormal heart rhythm), sedation and weight gain.

Cannabis:

•Increases risk of arrhythmias (heart

Second Generation

•Increases risk of sedation

rhythm disturbances).

•Reduces the amount of olanzapine &

Antipsychotics

•Risperidone may precipitate

•Increases risk of low blood

clozapine in your body

•Risperidone may reduce the high

methadone withdrawal

pressure with olanzapine

(‘atypicals’)

feeling experienced with cocaine

•Can increase weight gain

•Increases risk of sedation with

some antidepressants

•Cannabis increases the risk of sedation

•Increases risk of arrhythmias with

•Increases risk of sedation with

with some antidepressants.

•Some SSRIs can increase the

tricyclics.

some antidepressants.

Antidepressants

amount of methadone in your

•Some antidepressants can cause rapid

•Increases risk of high blood

•Increases toxicity in overdose with

body

heart beat (especially tricyclics).

pressure with MAOIs.

tricyclics.

Cannabis can make this worse.

•Increases risk of arrhythmias

with tricyclic antidepressants.

Anticholinergics

•Can cause hallucinations, elation and impaired memory

Lithium

•Alcohol & ecstasy in particular can cause dehydration. Dehydration can precipitate lithium toxicity.

•Carbamazepine reduces the

Valproate/

•All can affect the

amount of methadone in your

Carbamazepine

health of your liver

body

•Increases risk of sedation &

•Increases risk of over-sedation with

Benzodiazepines

respiratory depression

reduction in respiratory rate

•Increases risk of sedation

high doses of cocaine

•Accidental overdose possible

•Benzodiazepine abuse possible

Interactions Between 'Street Drugs' And Prescribed Psychotropic Drugs

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