FDA Warns about Serious Health Risks Posed by Opioids

​The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warns clinicians about several serious safety concerns that affect the entire class of opioid pain medicines in a March 22, 2016, safety alert. FDA says that drug interactions between opioids and antidepressants or migraine medications may cause serotonin syndrome, which could lead to the buildup of high levels of serotonin in the brain, causing toxicity. FDA provides a list of serotonergic drugs with the potential for this interaction in a drug safety communication.