title: Combined SSRI-RIMA treatment in refractory depression. Safety data and efficacy.
abstract: Eighteen patients with refractory depression (dysthymia with superimposed major depression) were treated with a combination of fluvoxamine and moclobemide for 6 weeks and compared with 18 patients treated with fluvoxamine only. Both groups had improved only slightly after 8 weeks of TCA treatment and 6 weeks of SSRI treatment. Two main observations can be made concerning safety and efficacy. Firstly, side effects in the SSRI-RIMA group were minimal. Secondly, the SSRI-RIMA combination treatment significantly improved depression in refractory depressed patients, with a decrease in depression of about 40%. The SSRI monotherapy group also significantly improved, though only by about 20%, indicating that positive effects of SSRI treatment may still develop even after 12 weeks of treatment. In conclusion, the study gives further support to the hypothesis that SSRI-RIMA combinations may be safe and well tolerated. This treatment may also offer some therapeutic advantages in at least some patients who have not responded to conventional pharmacological treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ebert
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Albert
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: May
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Stosiek
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Kaschka
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001549:Benzamides / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003863:Depression / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004338:Drug Combinations; D005260:Female; D016666:Fluvoxamine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020912:Moclobemide; D008996:Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012449:Safety; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D001549:Benzamides; D004338:Drug Combinations; D016666:Fluvoxamine; D020912:Moclobemide; D008996:Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors