Memory loss in a patient treated with fluoxetine.
OBJECTIVE
To report a case of severe memory loss in an elderly patient after initiation of fluoxetine.


METHODS
An 87-year-old white woman was started on fluoxetine for depression, and the dose was titrated to 20 mg/d. She developed progressive memory loss over the next 6 weeks for which she ultimately was hospitalized. Other potential causes for her memory loss were ruled out. After fluoxetine was discontinued, the patient's memory improved significantly over the next 2 months. An objective causality assessment indicated a possible relationship between the memory loss and fluoxetine in this patient.


CONCLUSIONS
Our report documents a case of severe reversible memory deterioration after initiating fluoxetine. Fluoxetine has a favorable adverse effect profile when compared with older classes of antidepressants. Postmarketing studies and isolated case reports, however, suggest that fluoxetine may harm memory in some patients. Some selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) appear to cause memory loss more frequently than others.


CONCLUSIONS
Clinicians should be aware of the possible effects of fluoxetine (and possibly other SSRIs) on memory.
Joss
Jacqueline D
JD
Ambulatory Services, Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center, Corvallis, OR, USA. jjoss@samhealth.org
Burton
Robert M
RM
Keller
Cecilia A
CA
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005473:Fluoxetine / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000523:psychology
D005473:Fluoxetine