title: Gallbladder emptying in patients with major depression: a case series.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although several adverse effects of antidepressants on the gastrointestinal tract have been described (bleeding, constipation, dolichocolon), their influence on gallbladder motility was not investigated.The aim of our study was to investigate the effects of selected antidepressants on gallbladder emptying in patients with major depression.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was set up as an open clinical trial, with the same intervention (ingestion of test meal provoking gallbladder emptying) undertaken in 112 patients with major depression. There were 30 patients not taking antidepressants (the control group), 25 patients taking amitriptyline, 30 patients taking maprotiline, and 27 patients taking fluoxetine. The volume of gallbladder in the study patients was measured by ultrasonography before the test meal, and 15, 30, 45 and 60 min after the meal.
  
  
  RESULTS
  1 h after ingestion of the study meal, the amitriptyline group showed incomplete gallbladder emptying (F=10.829, df=3, p=0.000; mean residual volume 11.0±6.1 mL), while in the control, maprotiline and fluoxetine groups emptying of gallbladder was complete (mean residual volumes 5.0±3.3 mL, 5.6±3.7 mL and 5.7±2.3 mL, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In patients with cholecystitis, it would be wise to use antidepressants which do not impair gallbladder emptying, like maprotiline or fluoxetine, and to avoid amitriptyline.
authors.affiliation: Dom Zdravlja, Kragujevac, Serbia.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Andjelkovic
authors.forename: D B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Jovanovic
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zdravkovic
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Jankovic
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000639:Amitriptyline / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000009:adverse effects; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D005473:Fluoxetine / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005704:Gallbladder / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology*; D016473:Gallbladder Emptying / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008376:Maprotiline / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D005473:Fluoxetine; D000639:Amitriptyline; D008376:Maprotiline