Paroxetine, Other Antidepressants Risky for Breast Cancer Patients Taking Tamoxifen

(CBS) Anxiety and depression often go hand-in-hand with a diagnosis of breast cancer. But researchers say three prescription medications used to treat these conditions - paroxetine (Paxil), fluoxetine (Prozac), and bupropion (Wellbutrin) - can limit the effectiveness of the breast cancer drug tamoxifen.

But cancer patients need not go without treatment for their mood disorders, as other antidepressants seem less likely to interfere with tamoxifen, according to the current issue of the Harvard Mental Health Letter.

Alternatives for many women include venlafaxine (Effexor), desvenlafaxine (Pristiq), and mirtazapine (Remeron), according to the publication's editor-in-chief,  Dr. Michael Miller.