Intravenous mirtazapine is safe and effective in the treatment of depressed inpatients.
Mirtazapine is a third-generation antidepressant with a dual mode of action. The oral administration has been shown to be effective and safe in the treatment of depressed patients. In this multicenter naturalistic study, we assessed the safety, tolerability, and therapeutic efficacy of intravenously administered mirtazapine in 80 moderately to severely depressed inpatients during a treatment period of 14 days. We found a significant decrease of the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale total score compared to baseline. Side effects were mild and transient. Our data indicate that intravenous mirtazapine is an effective, safe and well-tolerated treatment for depressed inpatients.
Mühlbacher
M
M
University Clinic for Psychiatry I, Christian Doppler Clinic, Salzburg, Austria. m.muehlbacher@salk.at
Konstantinidis
A
A
Kasper
S
S
Eichberger
G
G
Hinterhuber
H
H
Hofmann
P
P
Nimmerrichter
A
A
Schubert
H
H
Egger
C
C
Nickel
M
M
Stuppaeck
C
C
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000929:Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005221:Fatigue / Q000139:chemically induced; D005260:Female; D006261:Headache / Q000139:chemically induced; D006801:Humans; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D007297:Inpatients; D008297:Male; D008803:Mianserin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D008875:Middle Aged; D000078785:Mirtazapine; D009325:Nausea / Q000139:chemically induced; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014717:Vertigo / Q000139:chemically induced
D000929:Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic; D008803:Mianserin; D000078785:Mirtazapine