Bupropion in the treatment of major depressive disorder in real-life practice.
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is one of the most common mental disorders, with a lifetime prevalence of approximately 13% in Europe. Although the primary symptom of MDD is depressed mood and a loss of interest or pleasure in everyday life, patients with MDD often present with a variety of other symptoms, such as sleep disturbances, fatigue, anxiety and somatic complaints. Antidepressant drugs are frequently used as first-line therapy for MDD. Bupropion is a second-generation antidepressant drug that inhibits reuptake of the neurotransmitters dopamine and norepinephrine, and has no direct serotonergic effects, a unique property among antidepressants. This article highlights the use of bupropion in the treatment of three patients with varying presentations of MDD, including as combination therapy in a patient refractory to treatment with a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, monotherapy in a patient with somatic symptoms of depression and loss of libido, and in a patient complaining of anxiety as a symptom of MDD. Bupropion treatment was successful in all patients, resulting in remission of symptoms and the patients returning to their normal lives.
Hospital Garcia de Orta, Almada, Portugal. dsennfelt@gmail.com
Diogo Azevedo Oliveira
DA
Sennfelt
Maria Alice Rodrigues
MA
Marques da Silva
Anabela Pereira da Silva
AP
Tavares
D000328:Adult; D018687:Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016642:Bupropion / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D018765:Dopamine Uptake Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D012074:Remission Induction / Q000379:methods; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D018687:Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation; D018765:Dopamine Uptake Inhibitors; D016642:Bupropion