Your doctor can figure out if your short term use of it is justified. Does your doctor even know about its use for PTSD?
The latest here:
The use of medications
affecting serotonergic pathways was found to confer an increased risk
for valvular heart disease, according to findings published in
Heart.
Additionally, smaller studies suggested that
3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), commonly known as ecstasy, and
serotonin reuptake inhibitors may affect similar pathways.
Jacqueline H. Fortier, MSc,
and colleagues sought to synthesize current evidence of a link between
several medications affecting serotonergic pathways and valvular heart
disease.
“The link between certain medications and valvular pathologies has
been well established in the literature,” Fortier, of the division of
cardiac surgery at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute in Canada,
and colleagues wrote. “Evidence from the basic and translational
sciences has indicated that these medications may exert their effect
through serotonergic pathways.”
The researchers conducted a meta-analysis to find an association between serotonergic activity and cardiac valvular pathology.
Fortier and colleagues identified a consistent, significant
relationship between serotonergic medications (OR = 3.3; 95% CI,
1.99-5.49) and dopaminergic medications (OR = 2.56; 95 % CI, 1.68-3.91)
and
valvular heart disease.
The researchers also found that analyses limiting exposure to a
single medication or a singularly affected valve were significant.
Fortier and colleagues noted there was significant heterogeneity as
well as variability between the studies regarding dosage and length of
exposure.
The researchers wrote that two small studies found an association
between drug-induced valvular heart disease and selective serotonin
reuptake inhibitors as well as
MDMA.
Fortier and colleagues wrote the study’s limitations included
heterogeneity and the observational and nonrandomized nature of many of
the studies that were analyzed.
“Our results suggest that regulators, clinicians and pathologists
must be aware of the potential for certain medications to induce changes
to the cardiac valves and consider enhanced surveillance for patients
taking medication that are known to activate serotonin pathways,” the
researchers wrote.
– by Earl Holland Jr.
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