SSRIs: if at 6rst you don't succeed, tryagain Patients with depression who discontinue treatment with fluoxetine because of adverse effects may be successf ully treated with another selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SS RI ). such as scrtraline, say Drs Walter Brown a nd Wilma Harrison from the US. Findings from the ir study indicate that f1uo xetine and sertraline have different adverse effect profiles. IX<ioontinuing Ouoxetine These researchers initiated sertraline therapy in 112 patients with depression who had previously di scontinued treatment with fluoxetine because of adverse effects. The median duration of fluoxetine therapy was 4.8 months. The maximum dose was 120 mg/day, with 100 patients receiving 20-40 mg/day. The 3 most common adver se effects of at least moderate severity experienced during fluoxetinc treat ment were insomnia (28 % of patients), agitation (20%) and anxiety (16%). Ml\jority able to tolerate sertraIine Almost 80% of the patients successf ully completed 8 weeks of treatment with sertraline 50-200 mg/day. Treatment was discontinued prematurelv because of adverse effects in 11 patients. The same adverse effect as experienced with f1u oxetine occurred in 4 of these patients. The 3 most co mmon adverse effects of at least moderate severity expe ri enced during sertraline treatment were insomnia (24% of patients), headache (20%) and somnolence (10%). The researchers conc lude that both fluoxetine and sertraline are associated with GI symptoms, insomnia, sexual dysfunction and somnolence. However, they believe that fluoxetine may be more commo nl y associated with agitation, while diarrhoea may occur more frequently in sertraline recipients. BfOWII WA. Harrisoo W. Iw .. bD ..., im.akrmt to one IIttIXDDin reupW:J: WUblrI:lr inIoIenPI to IDIXho:r? 10llrDll 01 C1iDic:aI PsyclIimy 56: »-14, lilli95'S 19

SSRIs: if at first you don’t succeed, try again

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Page 1: SSRIs: if at first you don’t succeed, try again

SSRIs: if at 6rst you don't succeed, tryagain

Patients with depression who di scontinue treatment with fluoxetine because of adverse effects may be successfully treated with another selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SS RI). such as scrtraline, say Drs Walter Brown and Wilma Harrison from the US. Findings from their study indicate that f1uoxetine and sertraline have different adverse effect profiles.

IX<ioontinuing Ouoxetine These researchers initiated sertraline therapy in

112 patients with depression who had previously discontinued treatment with fluoxetine because of adverse effects. The median duration of fluoxetine therapy was 4.8 months. The maximum dose was 120 mg/day, with 100 patients receiving 20-40 mg/day. The 3 most common adverse effects of at least moderate severity experienced during fluoxetinc treatment were insomnia (28% of patients), agitation (20%) and anxiety (16%).

Ml\jority able to tolerate sertraIine

Almost 80% of the patients successfully completed 8 weeks of treatment with sertraline 50-200 mg/day. Treatment was discontinued prematurelv because of adverse effects in 11 patients. The same adverse effect as experienced with f1uoxetine occurred in 4 of these patients. The 3 most common adverse effects of at least moderate severity experienced during sertraline treatment were insomnia (24% of patients), headache (20%) and somnolence (10%).

The researchers conclude that both fluoxetine and sertraline are associated with GI symptoms, insomnia, sexual dysfunction and somnolence. However, they believe that fluoxetine may be more commonly associated with agitation, while diarrhoea may occur more frequently in sertraline recipients.

BfOWII WA. Harrisoo W. Iw ~ .. bD ..., im.akrmt to one IIttIXDDin 1C~\'t!

reupW:J: WUblrI:lr inIoIenPI to IDIXho:r? 10llrDll 01 C1iDic:aI PsyclIimy 56: »-14, lilli95'S