Carbamazepine in the prophylaxis of major depression: a 5-year follow-up.
BACKGROUND
The prophylaxis of unipolar depression is still controversial. Some physicians prefer lithium, others maintenance treatment with antidepressants. The role of carbamazepine remains unclear. Only a few patients have been described in the literature; most are lithium nonresponders or rapid cyclers.


METHODS
In an open-label naturalistic study, 15 patients suffering from major depression with melancholia (DSM-III, 296.2, 296.3) and receiving long-term prophylaxis with carbamazepine were followed for 5 years. Four had been pretreated with lithium without satisfactory effects, 11 were prophylaxis naive. We compared the number of depressive episodes before and during carbamazepine treatment.


RESULTS
The mean time span patients received carbamazepine was 49.5 months. Seventy-three percent (11 of 15) of the patients gained substantial benefit from carbamazepine. Side effects were infrequent.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results encourage further controlled and prospective studies using carbamazepine for maintenance treatment of patients with unipolar major mood disorder.
Stuppaeck
C H
CH
Innsbruck University Clinics, Department of Psychiatry, Austria.
Barnas
C
C
Schwitzer
J
J
Fleischhacker
W W
WW
D000328:Adult; D000553:Ambulatory Care; D002220:Carbamazepine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008094:Lithium / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D002220:Carbamazepine; D008094:Lithium