The applicability of antidepressants in the depressed medically ill: an open clinical trial with fluoxetine.
In the literature the side-effects and medical complications of tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), in the medically ill have been extensively reviewed. This study uses a prospective design to examine these issues' questions in an almost solely in-patient C-L population (N = 37) treated with a serotinergic antidepressant (fluoxetine). A first remarkable finding is the fact that 83% of the patients have complaints comparable with the side-effects of the drug, prior to its administration. Second, although the drop-out rates (DO) are comparable with those in earlier studies, in this study DO do not seem to be related to the seriousness of the side-effects of the drug. The more serious side-effects were hyponatremia (N = 1) and gastrointestinal symptoms (N = 3). In contrast to TCAs no psychiatric side-effects have to be reported. Therefore this study suggests that with good medical supervision fluoxetine can be used in the treatment of seriously medically ill patients with depressive co-morbidity.
Huyse
F J
FJ
Department of C-L Psychiatry, Free University Hospital, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Zwaan
W A
WA
Kupka
R
R
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D005473:Fluoxetine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010352:Patient Dropouts
D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D005473:Fluoxetine