title: Seizures and myoclonus associated with antidepressant treatment: assessment of potential risk factors, including CYP2D6 and CYP2C19 polymorphisms, and treatment with CYP2D6 inhibitors.
abstract: All adverse drug reaction reports labelled seizures or myoclonus during treatment with antidepressants and stored in the Swedish national database for spontaneous reporting of adverse drug reactions were reviewed in order to evaluate possible risk factors. The reporting physicians were contacted and asked for complementary information, and blood samples for determination of the CYP2D6 and CYP2C19 genotypes were obtained from patients available. In total, 25 cases of seizures and 7 cases of myoclonus were studied. The drugs included were maprotiline (n=8), mianserin (n=7), fluvoxamine (n=6), amitriptyline (n=3), clomipramine (n=3), citalopram (n=2), paroxetine (n=2) and lofepramine (n=1). Previously suggested predisposing factors were identified in all but four cases (87%). None of the 11 patients genotyped were found to be poor metabolizers with respect to the enzymes CYP2D6 or CYP2C19. Thus, neither the CYP2D6 nor the CYP2C19 genotype were found to be associated with the occurrence of seizures/myoclonus during treatment with antidepressants. However, 15 patients (47%) were concomitantly treated with drugs with potential inhibitory effects on CYP2D6, such as neuroleptics and dextropropoxyphene, and the patients might thus have been converted from the extensive metabolizer to the poor metabolizer phenotype during this treatment. Concomitant treatment with drugs decreasing the seizure threshold and/or inhibiting the metabolism of antidepressants appeared to be an important risk factor for the occurrence of seizures/myoclonus.
authors.affiliation: Regional Adverse Drug Reactions Monitoring Centre, Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Norrland University Hospital, Umeå, Sweden.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Spigset
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hedenmalm
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Dahl
authors.forename: B E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Wiholm
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dahlqvist
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016907:Adverse Drug Reaction Reporting Systems; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D001189:Aryl Hydrocarbon Hydroxylases; D065731:Cytochrome P-450 CYP2C19; D019389:Cytochrome P-450 CYP2D6 / Q000235:genetics*; D065690:Cytochrome P-450 CYP2D6 Inhibitors; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008657:Metabolic Clearance Rate / Q000235:genetics; D008875:Middle Aged; D006899:Mixed Function Oxygenases / Q000235:genetics*; D009207:Myoclonus / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D012307:Risk Factors; D012640:Seizures / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics; D013548:Sweden
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D065690:Cytochrome P-450 CYP2D6 Inhibitors; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System; D006899:Mixed Function Oxygenases; D001189:Aryl Hydrocarbon Hydroxylases; C045793:CYP2C19 protein, human; D065731:Cytochrome P-450 CYP2C19; D019389:Cytochrome P-450 CYP2D6