Author: RxISK Medical Team
Last updated: 2018
Life expectancy is falling or has stopped rising in Western and other developed countries. In some countries (USA) rising suicide rates have been highlighted as one possible factor in this fall.
In others (UK) the suicide rate doesn’t appear to be rising but it’s difficult to get a clear picture because unless people openly declare they are suiciding, coroners have been encouraged to return open verdicts, death by misadventure verdicts, or narrative verdicts.
Many people who have had a loved one made suicidal by a medication welcome verdicts like these as recognizing to some extent it was an external factor that caused the death rather than their child’s, parent’s or partner’s intention to take their own lives. The upshot however is we have no idea what the true rate of medication-induced suicide is. It is almost certainly rising in countries other than the United States as well.
What risks can medications cause?
Prescription medicines from antibiotics to contraceptives can increase your risk of suicide by triggering:
- a depressive or dysphoric state
- anxiety
- agitation or akathisia
- disinhibition
- psychosis or delirious states
What medications might put you at risk?
We have compiled a list of over 350 individual medicines that cause problems. Most of these drugs are marketed under many different trade names, sometimes hundreds of different trade names when language variations are taken into account. Many are marketed in combination with other medicines – sometimes with 3 or 4 or more medicines bundled into the same pill – with the result that you may not realize what drugs you are taking. The labeling of these drugs can differ across countries, with some labels revealing the risks in the very small print, and labels from other countries not revealing the risks from the same drug.
In total there are 40,000 or more different trade named drugs in North America and Europe that can make you depressed, agitated or suicidal. Roughly 20% of the named drugs on the market in any one country may pose risks to you. Roughly 33% of us are taking one of them.
The risk comes from the drug, not you. The difficulty in seeing this comes from the fact that we are all different. A drug that makes one person feel better, slows their heart rate or lowers their cholesterol, may make their friend suicidal, increase their heart rate or increase cholesterol levels. Companies trade on this – they sell the average headline effect of their drug as its only effect. If something else happens to you that’s an anecdote, or suggests you have another disease or even that you’ve fabricated things.
Astonishingly, companies get away with this. Even though the depression, anxiety, or suicidality that you are experiencing is written into the label of the drug you are on, your doctor may completely deny that this is a possibility when it seems obvious to you. Or just as bad, s/he may never point out to you that the symptoms you are having that you don’t connect to the drug, may in fact stem from this source. S/he will instead likely add in more drugs which will almost certainly make the problem worse.
As a recent article in JAMA showed, the more drugs you are on, the greater the risk you run. Taking three or more drugs that can cause a problem triples your risk of being dysphoric, akathisic, or suicidal.
Over 50% of us of all ages are on at least one drug and 50% over 45 are on at least three drugs, and 40% of over 65s are on five drugs or more.
There are variations in the risks these drugs pose. Being on a cocktail of drugs that includes a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) for acid reflux dramatically increases your risks, as do some anti-infectives like Lariam or fluoroquinolone antibiotics, whereas while statins are highly likely to cause fatigue they are less likely to cause suidicality or homicidality.
It is increasingly common for anyone taking a psychotropic drug, especially in America, to be on three or more psychotropics. If you are on three or more psychotropics, it is more likely than not that a significant part of your nervous problems stem from your medication.
The worry with psychotropic drugs is that by the time you read this, you may be close to or past the point of no return – getting back to a point where your medication is not causing your problem may be difficult.
How have we compiled this list?
Some drugs on the list come with explicit warnings of suicide – drugs for skin disorders and antidepressants.
Others such as anticonvulsants and mood-stabilizers show increased risks of akathisia and suicidality in clinical trials – equivalent to risks from skin drugs and antidepressants – but companies have dodged the requirement to warn.
The most common source of information comes from further down the label where companies describe other side effects that have been reported to them, for example by patients and doctors. Most doctors and other folk reading this will read:
“Whaddya know, a bunch of freaks have contacted us and told us our drug causes depression, agitation, psychosis, suicidality or homicidality. In the interests of transparency we are including these reports on the label but of course no causal connection has been made.”
However, these reports of depression, agitation, psychosis, suicidality or homicidality are put in the labels of drugs only where the company has investigated the case in great detail and can find no other way to explain the problem other than it was caused by their drug.
If it happens to you
These problems can happen when starting, stopping and changing the dose of a drug.
They can happen straight away – within an hour of your first dose or any change of dose – or they can take weeks to appear. Depression builds up slowly, agitation is quicker to appear.
If you develop a nervous problem, some drug you are on is probably the single likeliest cause. Your “mental” problems may even stem from the eye-drops you are using.
No-one should assume that if someone is taking a drug for a mental issue, a suicide or breakdown stems from their “illness”. Suicides are more likely in those on drug treatment for mental disorders than in those not taking medicines.
The greatest difficulty lies in knowing what to do if you suspect a treatment is causing you, or your partner or a child, problems.
Something curious that no-one properly understands can happen to those affected that can be seen even with something like coffee. Taking too much strong coffee can give any of us palpitations or make us agitated. Even as one part of us tells us not to take any more, another can figure that another cup of coffee would be good.
This is quite like what happens with food leading to bulimia and may apply to many things that make us feel worse. We’d love a good explanation of this phenomenon if anyone out there has one.
If your treatment is making you worse, your doctor may or may not be a good person to turn to. Doctors’ understanding that treatments can cause problems like this is shaky. There is at least a 50-50 chance their advice will be to stay on treatment or even increase the dose – the wrong advice if treatment is causing the problem.
If you are convinced the drug is your problem or your partner’s problem, the best advice is to lower the dose and perhaps stop treatment. If things improve over time, this is an important pointer to the role of treatment.
If the problem has appeared on withdrawal of some drug, the best advice may be to reinstate treatment and see what happens.
The list
- Acid & reflux
- Analgesics
- Anti-asthma
- Anti-acne
- Anti-arrhythmic drugs
- Anti-clotting drugs
- Anticonvulsants
- Anti-dementia
- Antidepressants
- Antihistamines
- Antihypertensives
- Anti-infectives
- Anti-nausea
- Anti-psoriasis
- Antipsychotics
- Anti-smoking & anti-alcohol
- Anxiolytics (tranquilizers)
- Cancer therapies
- Contraceptives
- Disease modifying agents
- Dopamine agonists
- Endometriosis
- Hypnotics
- Menopausal
- Mood stabilizers
- Statins
- Steroids
- Stimulants
- Unlikely
- Urinary flow
- Weight loss
- Xeno-pharma
Acid & reflux
| Generic Name | Trade Names |
|---|---|
| Cimetidine | Tagamet & 40 others |
| Dexlansoprazole | Dexilent |
| Esomeprazole | Nexium & 600 others |
| Famotidine | Pepcid & 100 others |
| Lansoprazole | Zoton, Prevacid & 300 others |
| Nizatidine | Axid |
| Omeprazole | Losec, Prilosec & 700 others |
| Pantoprazole | Protonix & 800 others |
| Rabeprazole | Aciphex, Pariet & 200 others |
| Ranitidine | Zantac & 400 others |
Analgesics
Opioid analgesics
| Generic Name | Trade Names |
|---|---|
| Alfentanil | Alfenta & 30 others |
| Buprenorphine | Subutex & 400 others |
| Codeine | Codeine & 300 others |
| Dextropropoxyphene | Diclofenac & 20 others |
| Diamorphine | Heroin & 15 others |
| Fentanyl | Actiq & 400 others |
| Hydrocodone & combinations | Vicodin & 90 others |
| Hydromorphone & combinations | Exalgo & 90 others |
| Methadone & combinations | Methadose, Dolophine & 140 others |
| Morphine & combinations | Avinza, Oramorph, MS Contin & 300 others |
| Nalbufene | Nalpain & 20 others |
| Nalmofene | Selenero |
| Naloxone & combinations | Narcan & 200 others |
| Naltrexone | Vivitrol & 80 others |
| Oxycodone & combinations | Oxycontin, Percocet & 450 others |
| Pethidine | Demerol & 50 others |
| Propoxyphene | Darvon |
Psychotropic analgesics
| Generic Name | Trade Names |
|---|---|
| Amitriptyline | Elavil, Tryptizol & 100 others |
| Carbamazepine | Tegretol & 120 others |
| Duloxetine | Cymbalta & 400 others |
| Gabapentin | Neurontin & 300 others |
| Lamotrigine | Lamictal & 200 others |
| Nortriptyline | Allegron, Aventyl & 40 others |
| Oxcarbazepine | Trileptal & 80 others |
| Pregabalin | Lyrica & 250 others |
| Topiramate | Topamax & 220 others |
Triptan analgesics
| Generic Name | Trade Names |
|---|---|
| Almotriptan | Almogen Axen & 66 others |
| Eletriptan | Relpax & 60 others |
| Frovatriptan | Frova & 50 others |
| Naratriptan | Amerge & 60 others |
| Rizatriptan | Maxalt & 150 others |
| Sumatriptan | Imitrex & 250 others |
| Zolmatriptan | Zomig & 200 others |
Older analgesics
| Generic Name | Trade Names |
|---|---|
| Baclofen | Lioresal & 120 others |
| Carisoprodil | Soma |
| Chlorzoxazone | Lorzone, Parafon |
| Cyclobenzaprine | Flexeryl & 5 others |
| Methocarbamol | Robaxin |
| Metaxolone | Skelaxin |
| Tizanidine | Zanaflex & 30 others |
Anti-asthma
| Generic Name | Trade Names |
|---|---|
| Montelukast | Singulair & 500 others |
| Roflumilast | Daxas |
| Zafirlukast | Accolate & 8 others |
Anti-acne
| Generic Name | Trade Names |
|---|---|
| Acitretin | Soriatane, Neotigason & 50 others |
| Alitretinoin | Toctino & 20 others |
| Doxycycline | Doryx & 250 others |
| Isotretinoin | Accutane, Ro-Accutane & 130 others |
| Tretinoin | Retin A & 40 others |
Anti-arrhythmic drugs
| Generic Name | Trade Names |
|---|---|
| Flecainide | Tambocor & 80 others |
| Propafenone | Rhythmol & 90 others |
Anti-clotting drugs
| Generic Name | Trade Names |
|---|---|
| Clopidogrel | Plavix & 400 others |
Anticonvulsants
| Generic Name | Trade Names |
|---|---|
| Carbamazepine | Tegretol & 100 others |
| Ethosuximide | Emeside, Zarontin & 25 others |
| Felbamate | Felbatol & 25 others |
| Gabapentin | Neurontin & 300 others |
| Lacosamide | Vimpat & 120 others |
| Lamotrigine | Lamictal & 200 others |
| Levetiracitam | Keppra & 400 others |
| Oxcarbazepine | Trileptal & 80 others |
| Phenytoin | Epanutin & 100 others |
| Pregabalin | Lyrica & 250 others |
| Sodium valproate | Depakene, Epilim & 200 others |
| Tiagabide | Gabitril & 10 others |
| Topiramate | Topamax & 220 others |
| Vigabatrin | Sabril & 20 others |
| Zonisamide | Zonergan & 130 others |
Anti-dementia
| Generic Name | Trade Names |
|---|---|
| Donepexil | Aricept & 400 others |
| Galantamine | Razadyne &160 others |
| Memantine | Namenda & 100 others |
| Rivastigmine | Exelon & 300 others |
Antidepressants
Serotonin reuptake inhibitors
| Generic Name | Trade Names |
|---|---|
| Citalopram | Celexa, Cipramil & 400 others |
| Dapoxetine | Priligy & 30 others |
| Desvenlafaxine | Pristiq, Enzude |
| Duloxetine | Cymbalta & 400 others |
| Escitalopram | Cipralex, Lexapro & 600 others |
| Fluoxetine | Prozac & 300 orthers |
| Fluvoxamine | Faverin, Luvox & 50 others |
| Levomilnacipran | Fetzima |
| Milnacipran | Ixel, Savella & 10 others |
| Paroxetine | Paxil, Seroxat & 300 others |
| Sertraline | Zoloft & 400 others |
| Venlafaxine | Effexor & 500 others |
| Vortioxetine | Brintellix, Trintellix |
Tricyclic antidepressants
| Generic Name | Trade Names |
|---|---|
| Amitriptyline | Elavil, Tryptizol & 100 others |
| Amitriptyline & chlordiazepoxide | Limbitrol & 10 others |
| Amitriptyline & perphenazine | Triptafen & 5 others |
| Clomipramine | Anafranil & 70 others |
| Desipramine | Norpramin, Pertofran |
| Dosulepin | Prothiaden |
| Doxepin | Sinequan & 30 others |
| Imipramine | Tofranil & 20 others |
| Lofepramine | Gamanil |
| Nortriptyline | Allegron, Aventyl & 40 others |
| Protriptyline | Vivactil |
| Trimipramine | Surmontil & 25 others |
Other antidepressants & anxiolytics
| Generic Name | Trade Names |
|---|---|
| Buproprion | Wellbutrin & 80 others |
| Buspirone | Buspar & 50 others |
| Mianserin | Tolvon & 30 others |
| Mirtazepine | Remeron & 300 others |
| Moclobemide | Aurorix & 50 others |
| Nefazodone | Serzone |
| Phenelzine | Nardil & 5 others |
| Selegilene | Eldepryl & 50 others |
| Tranylcypromine | Parnate & 10 others |
| Trazodone | Desyrel, Molipaxin & 80 others |
| Vilazodone | Viibryd |
Antihistamines
| Generic Name | Trade Names |
|---|---|
| Cetirizine | Zyrtec & 250 others |
| Chlorphenamine | Chlortimeton, Piriton & 200 others |
| Cyproheptadine | Periactin & 10 others |
| Dexchlorpheniramine | Polaramine & 10 others |
| Diphenhydramine | Benadryl, Sominex & 800 others |
| Fexofenadine | Allegra & 100 others |
| Levocetirizine | Alcet, Clarigen & 200 others |
| Pyrilamide Mepyramine | Antihistan & 20 others |
Antihypertensives
ACE inhibitors
| Generic Name | Trade Names |
|---|---|
| Benazepril | Lotensin & 20 others |
| Captopril | Capoten & 190 others |
| Cilazapril | Dynorm & 30 others |
| Enalapril | Vasotex & 600 others |
| Fosinopril | Monopril & 130 others |
| Lisinopril | Zestril & 300 others |
| Moexipril | Univasc & 5 others |
| Perendipril | Coversyl & 500 others |
| Quinapril | Accupril & 90 others |
| Ramipril | Lopace, Tritace & 400 others |
| Trandolapril | Gopten & 50 others |
Beta-blockers
| Generic Name | Trade Names |
|---|---|
| Acebutalol | Sectral & 40 others |
| Atenolol | Tenormin & 200 others |
| Bambuterol | Bambec & 30 others |
| Betaxolol | Kerlone & 90 others |
| Bisoprolol | Zebeta & 500 others |
| Carvedilol | Coreg & 200 others |
| Celiprolol | Cordiax & 30 others |
| Labetalol | Trandate & 50 others |
| Metoprolol | Lopressor, Toprol & 400 others |
| Nadolol | Corgard & 5 others |
| Nebivolol | Asivol & 250 others |
| Pindolol | Visken & 10 others |
| Propranolol | Inderal & 80 others |
| Sotalol | Betapace |
Older antihypertensives
| Generic Name | Trade Names |
|---|---|
| Apraclonidine | Lopidine & 15 others |
| Clonidine | Catapres & 50 others |
| Doxazosin | Cardura & 250 others |
| Guanabenz | Wytensin & 5 others |
| Guanfacine | Tenex & 4 others |
| Hydralazine | Apresoline & 20 others |
| Methyldopa | Aldomet & 30 others |
| Prazosin | Minipress & 15 others |
| Rauwolfia | Rauwolfia & 20 others |
| Reserpine | Serpasil & 20 others |
Anti-Infectives
Antibiotics & anti-protozoals
| Generic Name | Trade Names |
|---|---|
| Cycloserine | Seromycin & 15 others |
| Dapsone | Aczone & 10 others |
| Doxycycline | Vibramycin, Doryx & 250 others |
| Lymecycline | Limeclin, Tetralysal & 30 others |
| Mefloquine | Lariam & 13 others |
| Metronidazole | Flagyl & 350 others |
| Tafenoquine | Kristafel |
Antivirals
| Generic Name | Trade Names |
|---|---|
| Abacavir | Epzicom & 10 others |
| Abacavir & lamiduvine | Kivexa, Zentiva & 140 others |
| Atazanavir | Reyataz & 30 others |
| Efavirenz | Sustiva & 60 others |
| Efavirenz, emtricitabine & others | Atripla & 200 others |
| Emtricitabine | Emtriva & 200 others |
| Lamiduvine | Epivir & 50 others |
| Oseltamivir | Tamiflu & 10 others |
| Raltegravir | Isentress & 15 others |
| Ribavirin | Rebetol, Copegus & 90 others |
| Zanamavir | Relenza & 20 others |
Fluoroquinolone antibiotics
| Generic Name | Trade Names |
|---|---|
| Ciprofloxacin | Cipro & 600 others |
| Gamifloxacin | Factive |
| Levofloxacin | Levaquin & 600 others |
| Lomefloxacin | Maxaquin & 5 others |
| Moxifloxacin | Avelox & 350 others |
| Norfloxacin | Noroxin & 80 others |
| Ofloxacin | Floxin & 160 others |
Anti-nausea
| Generic Name | Trade Names |
|---|---|
| Dronabinol | Sativex |
| Granisetron | Kytril & 10 others |
| Metoclopramide | Maxolon, Reglan & 180 others |
| Ondansetron | Zofran & 450 others |
| Prochlorperazine | Compazine, Stemetil & 30 others |
Anti-psoriasis
| Generic Name | Trade Names |
|---|---|
| Adalimumab | Humira & 9 others |
| Apremilast | Otezla |
| Brodalumab | Siliq, Kyntheum |
| Isekizumab | Talzt |
| Ustekizumab | Stelara |
Antipsychotics
Antipsychotics pre-1990
| Generic Name | Trade Names |
|---|---|
| Benperidol | Anquil & 5 others |
| Chlorpromazine | Largactil, Thorazine & 50 others |
| Chlorprothixene | Truxal & 30 others |
| Clozapine | Clozaril & 100 others |
| Droperidol | Droleptan & 50 others |
| Flupenthixol | Depixol, Fluanxol & 50 others |
| Fluphenazine | Modecate, Prolixin & 20 others |
| Flusprilene | Imap & 4 others |
| Haloperidol | Haldol, Serenace & 130 others |
| Levomepromazine | Nozinan & 50 others |
| Melperone | Buinil & 20 others |
| Molindone | Moban |
| Periciazine | Neulactil & 5 others |
| Perphenazine | Fentazin, Trilafon & 10 others |
| Pimozide | Orap & 10 others |
| Pipamperone | Diperone & 10 others |
| Sulpiride | Dolmatil, Sulpitil & 80 others |
| Tetrabenazine | Xenazine & 30 others |
| Thiothixene | Navane |
| Trifluoperazine | Stelazine & 15 others |
| Zuclopenthixol | Clopixol & 50 others |
Antipsychotics post-1990
| Generic Name | Trade Names |
|---|---|
| Amisulpiride | Solian & 130 others |
| Aripiprazole | Abilify & 500 others |
| Asenapine | Saphris, Sycrest |
| Brexipiprazole | Rexulti |
| Cariprazine | Vraylar |
| Deutetrabenazine | Austedo |
| Iloperidone | Fanapt |
| Loxapine | Loxapac & 5 others |
| Lurasidone | Latuda & 5 others |
| Olanzapine | Zyprexa & 450 others |
| Paliperidone | Invega & 30 others |
| Pimavanserin | Nuplazid |
| Quetiapine | Seroquel & 700 others |
| Risperidone | Risperdal & 400 others |
| Sertindole | Serdolect & 20 others |
| Valbenazine | Ingrezza |
| Ziprasidone | Geodon & 100 others |
| Zopetine | Zoleptil & 5 others |
Anti-smoking & anti-alcohol
| Generic Name | Trade Names |
|---|---|
| Acamprosate | Campral & 20 others |
| Baclofen | Lioresal & 120 others |
| Buproprion | Zyban & 100 others |
| Varenicline | Chantix, Champix |
Anxiolytics (tranquilizers)
Benzodiazepines
| Generic Name | Trade Names |
|---|---|
| Alprazolam | Xanax & 200 others |
| Chlordiazepoxide | Librium & 30 others |
| Clobazam | Frisum & 40 others |
| Clonazepam | Klonopin, Rivotril & 50 others |
| Clorazepate | Tranxene & 20 others |
| Diazepam | Valium & 250 others |
| Lorazepam | Ativan & 120 others |
| Medazepam | Nobrium & 10 others |
| Oxazepam | Serenid, Serax & 60 others |
Beta-blockers
| Generic Name | Trade Names |
|---|---|
| Acebutalol | Sectral & 40 others |
| Atenolol | Tenormin & 200 others |
| Bambuterol | Bambec & 30 others |
| Betaxolol | Kerlone & 90 others |
| Bisoprolol | Zebeta & 500 others |
| Carvedilol | Coreg & 200 others |
| Celiprolol | Cordiax & 30 others |
| Labetalol | Trandate & 50 others |
| Metoprolol | Lopressor, Toprol & 400 others |
| Nadolol | Corgard & 5 others |
| Nebivolol | Asivol & 250 others |
| Pindolol | Visken & 10 others |
| Propranolol | Inderal & 80 others |
| Sotalol | Betapace |
Niche anxiolytics
| Generic Name | Trade Names |
|---|---|
| Apraclonidine | Lopidine & 15 others |
| Clonidine | Catapres & 50 others |
| Doxazosin | Cardura & 250 others |
| Guanabenz | Wytensin & 5 others |
| Guanfacine | Tenex & 4 others |
| Hydralazine | Apresoline & 20 others |
| Methyldopa | Aldomet & 30 others |
| Prazosin | Minipress & 15 others |
| Rauwolfia | Rauwolfia & 20 others |
| Reserpne | Serpasil & 20 others |
Serotonergic
| Generic Name | Trade Names |
|---|---|
| Citalopram | Celexa, Cipramil & 400 others |
| Dapoxetine | Priligy & 30 others |
| Desvenlafaxine | Pristiq, Enzude |
| Duloxetine | Cymbalta & 400 others |
| Escitalopram | Cipralex, Lexapro & 600 others |
| Fluoxetine | Prozac & 300 orthers |
| Fluvoxamine | Faverin, Luvox & 50 others |
| Levomilnacipran | Fetzima |
| Milnacipran | Ixel, Savella & 10 others |
| Paroxetine | Paxil, Seroxat & 300 others |
| Sertraline | Zoloft & 400 others |
| Venlafaxine | Effexor & 500 others |
| Vortioxetine | Brintellix, Trintellix |
Cancer therapies
Breast cancer drugs
| Generic Name | Trade Names |
|---|---|
| Anastrozole | Arimidex & 340 others |
| Exemestane | Aromasin & 200 others |
| Raloxifene | Evista |
| Tamoxifen | Nolvadex, Tamifen & 120 others |
Prostate cancer drugs
| Generic Name | Trade Names |
|---|---|
| Bicalutamide | Casodex & 340 others |
| Goserelin | Zoladex & 60 others |
| Leuporelin | Lupron & 130 others |
Other cancer drugs
| Generic Name | Trade Names |
|---|---|
| Erlotinib | Tarceva |
| Lenalidomide | Revlimid |
| Sorfanib | Nexavar |
| Thalidomide | Thalomid |
Contraceptives
| Generic Name | Trade Names |
|---|---|
| Chlormadinone | Belara & 80 others |
| Conjugated estrogens | Premarin & 15 others |
| Cyproterone & estradiol | Diane, Dianette & 90 others |
| Desorgestrel & combinations | Azurette & 450 others |
| Dienogest | Estradiol valerate & 300 others |
| Dihydrogesterone | Femoston & 80 others |
| Drospirenone | Yasmin, Yaz & 800 others |
| Estradiol & combinations | Estrogel & 400 others |
| Estriol | Ovestin & 100 others |
| Estropipate | Harmogen & others |
| Ethinylestradiol | Alesse & 800 others |
| Etonorgestrel | Circlet, NuvaRing & 20 others |
| Hydroxyprogesterone | Dilalutin & 4 others |
| Levonorgestrel | EllaOne & 300 others |
| Medroxyprogesterone | Depo-Provera & 80 others |
| Megesterol | Megace & 35 others |
| Norethisterone | Primolut nor & 120 others |
| Norgestrol | Ovrette & 16 others |
Disease modifying agents
| Generic Name | Trade Names |
|---|---|
| Cyclosporine | Neoral, Sandimmune & 10 others |
| Dalfampridine | Amypyra |
| Dimethyl fumarate | Tecfidera |
| Fingolimod | Gilenya |
| Glatiramer | Copaxone |
| Interferon beta 1a | Avonex, Rebif & 5 others |
| Interferon beta 1b | Betaferon, Betaseron |
| Methotrexate | Trexall & 99 others |
| Natalizumab | Tysabri |
| Peg-Interferon | Copegus, Rebetol & 5 others |
| Teriflunomide | Aubagio |
Dopamine agonists
| Generic Name | Trade Names |
|---|---|
| Amantadine | Osmolex, Symmetrel & 50 others |
| Apomorphine | Apokine, Uprima & 100 others |
| Bromocriptine | Parolodel & 50 others |
| Cabergoline | Dostinex & 70 others |
| Carbidopa & combinations | Sinemet & 240 others |
| Entacapone & combinations | Comtan & others |
| Levodopa & combinations | Benseride & 80 others |
| Pergolide | Permax & 5 others |
| Pramipexole | Mirapex & 250 others |
| Quinagolide | Norprolac & 25 others |
| Rasagiline | Azilect & 300 others |
| Ropinirole | Requip & 250 others |
| Rotigotine | Neupro & 19 others |
| Tolcapone & combinations | Tasmar & others |
Endometriosis
| Generic Name | Trade Names |
|---|---|
| Buserelin | Suprecur & 30 others |
| Goserelin | Zoladex & 60 others |
| Leuporelin | Lupron & 120 others |
| Naferelin | Synarel & 80 others |
| Triptorelin | Gonapeptyl &120 others |
Hypnotics
| Generic Name | Trade Names |
|---|---|
| Butabarbital | Butisol |
| Chlormethiazole | Heminevrin & 15 others |
| Eszopiclone | Lunesta |
| Flunitrazepam | Dalmane & 30 others |
| Flurazepam | Rohypnol & 12 others |
| Lormetazepam | Noctamid & 80 others |
| Nitrazepam | Mogadon & 60 others |
| Pentobarbital | Nembutal & 80 others |
| Quazepam | Doral, Quiedorm |
| Ramelteon | Rozerem |
| Suvorexant | Belsomra |
| Temazepam | Normison & 30 others |
| Triazolam | Halcion & 20 others |
| Zaleplon | Morfeo |
| Zolpidem | Ambien & 240 others |
| Zopiclone | Zimovane & 140 others |
Menopausal
| Generic Name | Trade Names |
|---|---|
| Cinacalcet | Mimpara, Sensilar |
| Fluoxetine | Sarafem |
| Paroxetine | Brisdelle |
| Raloxifene | Evista |
Mood stabilizers
| Generic Name | Trade Names |
|---|---|
| Carbamazepine | Tegretol & 160 others |
| Gabapentin | Neurontin & 300 others |
| Lamotrigine | Lamictal & 200 others |
| Oxcarbazepine | Trileptal & 80 others |
| Pregabalin | Lyrica & 250 others |
| Semi-sodium valproate | Depakote & 4 others |
| Tiagabide | Gabitril & 10 others |
| Topiramate | Topamax & 220 others |
| Valproic acid | Divalproex sodium & 80 others |
| Valpromide | Depamide |
Statins
| Generic Name | Trade Names |
|---|---|
| Atorvastatin | Lipitor & 700 others |
| Fluvastatin | Lescol & 200 others |
| Lovastatin | Mevacor & 60 others |
| Pitavastatin | Livalo & 20 others |
| Pravastatin | Pravachol & 230 others |
| Rosuvastatin | Crestor & 600 others |
| Simvastatin | Zocor & 700 others |
Steroids
| Generic Name | Trade Names |
|---|---|
| Budesonide | Pulmicort & 90 others |
| Dexamethasone | Decadron & 400 others |
| Hydrocortisone | Corlef & 100 others |
| Methylprednisolone | Medrol & 200 others |
| Prednisolone/Prednisone | Deltasone & 240 others |
| Triamcinolone | Kenacort & 50 others |
Anabolic steroids
| Generic Name | Trade Names |
|---|---|
| Cyproterone | Androcur & 20 others |
| Nandrolone | Dynabolon & 10 others |
| Oxandrolone | Oxandrin & 10 others |
| Testosterone | Sustanon & 200 others |
Stimulants
| Generic Name | Trade Names |
|---|---|
| Amphetamine | Adderal & 20 others |
| Armodafanil | Nuvigil |
| Atomoxetine | Strattera & 100 others |
| Dexamphetamine | Dexedrine & 20 others |
| Dexamphetamine slow release | Rexall & 10 others |
| Dexmethylphenidate | Focalin & 10 others |
| Lisdexamphetamine | Vyvanse & 15 others |
| Methylphenidate | Ritalin, Inspiral, Addwize, Aptensio, Biphentin, Equasym & 200 others |
| Methylphenidate slow release | Concerta, Metadate ER |
| Modafanil | Provigil & 50 others |
| Sodium oxybate | Xyrem & 10 others |
Unlikely
The headline drugs here likely do not cause a problem but they are commonly combined with drugs that can.
| Generic Name | Trade Names |
|---|---|
| Amolidipine | Combined with statins, beta-blockers & ACE inhibitors |
| Aspirin | Combined with beta-blockers & ACE inhibitors |
| Dextromethorphan | Combined with opioids, antihistamines & analgesics in over 50 products |
| Bendroflumethiazide | Combined with beta-blockers & ACE inhibitors |
| Hydrochlorthiazide | Combined with beta-blockers & ACE inhibitors |
| Vitamin D / cholecalciferol | Combined with many biphosphonates |
Urinary flow
| Generic Name | Trade Names |
|---|---|
| Duloxetine | Yentreve & 100 others |
| Dutasteride | Avodart & 300 others |
| Finasteride | Propecia, Proscar & 400 others |
| Tamsulosin | Flomax & 400 others |
Weight loss
| Generic Name | Trade Names |
|---|---|
| Buproprion & naltrexone | Contrave |
| Lorcaserin | Belviq |
| Sibutramine | Meridia |
| Topiramate & phentermine | Qsymia |
Xeno-pharma
There are probably a large number of drugs used only in African or Asian settings that have not made it on to the radar elsewhere. We would appreciate any information you hear about.
| Generic Name | Trade Names |
|---|---|
| Invermectin | Stromectol |