title: Venlafaxine - quetiapine combination in the treatment of complicated clinical picture of enduring personality changes following PTSD in comorbidity with psychotic depression.
abstract: PTSD is a complex disorder, which frequently occurs in comorbidity with anxious disorder, personality disorder, addiction or substance abuse disorder, depressive disorder with or without psychotic symptoms and psychotic disorder. PTSD symptoms may result from deregulation of several different neurotransmitter systems. Pharmacotherapy of PTSD depends on clinical features and the presence of comorbid disorders. Pharmacotherapy of PTSD involves use of anxiolytics, adrenergic receptor antagonists, antidepressants, anticonvulsants and novel antipsychotics. Serotoninergic effect of antidepressants is not only effective in treating depression, but also appears to be helpful in PTSD treatment, particularly in reduction of intrusive symptoms, emotional reactivity, impulsiveness, aggression and suicidal ideation. Anypsychotics with serotoninergic-dopaminergic antagonism are being prescribed often in treatment of psychotic depression, while in PTSD treatment they are proved to be efficient in relieving intrusive symptoms and nightmares. Quetiapine as serotoninergic-dopaminergic antagonist is efficient in treatment of chronic insomnia as well as in reduction of aggressiveness. Considering PTSD refractoriness to therapy, high incidence of comorbidity and significant functional impairment, it is important to search for new psychopharmacological combinations in order to improve mental status of the patient. The paper presents 46 years old male patient with the diagnosis of Enduring personality changes following war PTSD (F62.0) in comorbidity with Recurrent depressive disorder with psychotic symptoms (F33.3), who was treated with combination of venlafaxine and quetiapine.
authors.affiliation: Psychiatric Hospital Sveti Ivan, HR-10090 Zagreb, Croatia. pbsvi@pbsvi.hr
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Presecki
authors.forename: Mate
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mihanović
authors.forename: Ante
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Silić
authors.forename: Ana Loncar
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Vuina
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Caratan
mesh_terms: D000341:Affective Disorders, Psychotic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D018687:Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003130:Combat Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D015897:Comorbidity; D003511:Cyclohexanols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D003987:Dibenzothiazepines / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D000069348:Quetiapine Fumarate; D055502:Secondary Prevention; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D000069470:Venlafaxine Hydrochloride; D014728:Veterans / Q000523:psychology*
chemical_list: D018687:Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D003511:Cyclohexanols; D003987:Dibenzothiazepines; D000069348:Quetiapine Fumarate; D000069470:Venlafaxine Hydrochloride