Nefazodone overdose: a case report

Nefazodone (Serzone) is one of the newer medications developed to treat major depression. It is a phenylpiperazine derivative that inhibits the reuptake of both norepinephrine and serotonin and antagonizes the 5HT2 and alpha-one adrenergic receptors. It is well tolerated by patients, and is felt to have a much wider margin of safety than older antidepressants. We report the case of a woman who attempted suicide by ingesting a large amount of nefazodone and a smaller amount of verapamil. We review the literature regarding nefazodone side effects and previous cases of overdose, discuss the clinical complications of such an overdose and discuss treatment recommendation.