Safety and efficacy of fluoxetine in patients who receive oral contraceptive therapy.
OBJECTIVE
Because many women who receive pharmacologic therapy with antidepressants are also prescribed oral contraceptives, it is important to assess the risk of clinically significant drug interactions. We reviewed the United States fluoxetine clinical trial database, specifically analyzing women ages 18 to 45 years, for differences in safety, antidepressant efficacy, and unplanned pregnancies that were associated with oral contraceptive use.


METHODS
Data from 17 double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials in 1698 women were analyzed retrospectively. A subgroup of women with oral contraceptive use was compared with a subgroup of women with no oral contraceptive use. Differences in treatment-emergent adverse events, unplanned pregnancies, and 17-item Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD-17) scores were analyzed.


RESULTS
The only treatment-emergent adverse events that showed a statistically significantly different odds ratio for oral contraceptive use versus no oral contraceptive use were headache, asthenia, and pain. There was not a statistically significant interaction in the incidence of unintended pregnancies (P =.111) or in the changes from baseline in HAMDD-17 scores.


CONCLUSIONS
There is no clinical evidence that concomitant use of oral contraceptives and fluoxetine affects the safety or efficacy of either agent.
Koke
Stephanie C
SC
Lilly Research Laboratories, Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, IN, USA. skoke@lilly.com
Brown
Eileen B
EB
Miner
Cherri M
CM
D018687:Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003276:Contraceptives, Oral / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004347:Drug Interactions; D005260:Female; D005473:Fluoxetine / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D012189:Retrospective Studies
D018687:Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation; D003276:Contraceptives, Oral; D005473:Fluoxetine