ABSTRACT
Statistically, and in day-to-day clinical practice, most psychotropic medication side effects can be uncomfortable and bothersome but do not present areas of serious risk to health and safety. As with all medications, however, there are some psychotropic medication interactions and certain clinical situations that present serious risk of morbidity or, rarely, mortality. This chapter focuses on these areas of more significant risk, their symptoms, prevention and treatment. The P-450 enzyme system is a cytochrome enzyme system located primarily in the liver, but also present in the small intestine, lungs and kidneys. The P-450 enzyme system is involved in the breakdown and metabolism of medications. A useful analogy to the understanding of the pharmacokinetic interactions associated with the P-450 enzyme is that of a conveyor belt used by workers to remove boxes of product from a factory. Much of the data on P-450 interactions has been obtained from the usage of antidepressants.
