title: Tricyclic wash-out and growth hormone response to clonidine.
abstract: We have observed a significantly higher growth hormone (GH) response to clonidine administration (150 micrograms i.v.) in 14 patients with a major depressive disorder who had never received antidepressant therapy than in 14 matched depressive patients who had not received tricyclic drugs for at least 15 days. Compared with a control group of eight subjects, untreated depressed patients, as a group, had a normal response, while matched patients had markedly blunted response. Results for the group of untreated depressed patients showed that some patients had a blunted response while others had a response in the normal range. The results suggest that studies on the GH response to clonidine in psychiatric patients need to take into account the confounding and long-lasting effects of tricyclics.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Vincent Van Gogh Hospital, Marchienne-Au-Pont, Belgium.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schittecatte
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Charles
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Machowski
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wilmotte
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000929:Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D003000:Clonidine; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy; D005260:Female; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008657:Metabolic Clearance Rate
chemical_list: D000929:Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic; D013006:Growth Hormone; D003000:Clonidine