ssris: if at first you don't succeed, try again

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Reactions 542 - 18 Mar 1995 SSRIs: if at first you don’t succeed, try again Patients with depression who discontinue treatment with fluoxetine because of adverse effects may be successfully treated with another selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), such as sertraline, say Drs Walter Brown and Wilma Harrison from the US. Findings from their study indicated that fluoxetine and sertraline have different adverse effect profiles. 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 fluoxetine treatment were insomnia (28% of patients), agitation (20%) and anxiety (16%). Almost 80% of the patients successfully completed 8 weeks of treatment with sertraline 50–200 mg/day. Treatment was discontinued prematurely because of adverse effects in 11 patients. The same adverse effect as experienced with fluoxetine 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 concluded 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. Brown WA, et al. Are patients who are intolerant to one serotonin selective reuptake inhibitor intolerant to another? Journal of Clinical Psychiatry 56: 30-34, Jan 1995 800341460 1 Reactions 18 Mar 1995 No. 542 0114-9954/10/0542-0001/$14.95 Adis © 2010 Springer International Publishing AG. All rights reserved

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

Reactions 542 - 18 Mar 1995

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

Patients with depression who discontinue treatmentwith fluoxetine because of adverse effects may besuccessfully treated with another selective serotoninreuptake inhibitor (SSRI), such as sertraline, say DrsWalter Brown and Wilma Harrison from the US.Findings from their study indicated that fluoxetine andsertraline have different adverse effect profiles.

These researchers initiated sertraline therapy in 112patients with depression who had previouslydiscontinued treatment with fluoxetine because ofadverse effects. The median duration of fluoxetinetherapy was 4.8 months. The maximum dose was 120mg/day, with 100 patients receiving 20–40 mg/day. The3 most common adverse effects of at least moderateseverity experienced during fluoxetine treatment wereinsomnia (28% of patients), agitation (20%) and anxiety(16%).

Almost 80% of the patients successfully completed 8weeks of treatment with sertraline 50–200 mg/day.Treatment was discontinued prematurely because ofadverse effects in 11 patients. The same adverse effectas experienced with fluoxetine occurred in 4 of thesepatients. The 3 most common adverse effects of at leastmoderate severity experienced during sertralinetreatment were insomnia (24% of patients), headache(20%) and somnolence (10%).

The researchers concluded that both fluoxetine andsertraline are associated with GI symptoms, insomnia,sexual dysfunction and somnolence. However, theybelieve that fluoxetine may be more commonlyassociated with agitation, while diarrhoea may occurmore frequently in sertraline recipients.Brown WA, et al. Are patients who are intolerant to one serotonin selectivereuptake inhibitor intolerant to another? Journal of Clinical Psychiatry 56: 30-34,Jan 1995 800341460

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Reactions 18 Mar 1995 No. 5420114-9954/10/0542-0001/$14.95 Adis © 2010 Springer International Publishing AG. All rights reserved