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[Selective serotonin uptake inhibitors and pancreatitis]
1Medisinsk avdeling Statens legemiddelverk Sven Oftedalsvei 6 0950 Oslo. kristin.kvande@slk.no
Background:
About 2% of all cases of pancreatitis are drug-induced. Several drugs cause pancreatitis, including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).
Material And Methods:
Two Norwegian adverse drug event reports and a review of the international WHO adverse drug reactions database form the basis for this discussion. We found a total of 160 cases of pancreatitis associated with SSRIs.
Results:
Our findings support the notion that SSRIs may trigger pancreatitis in rare cases. The course of the disease may be severe and even fatal.
Interpretation:
Physicians should be aware of the possibility that SSRIs may trigger pancreatitis. Patients taking SSRIs should be evaluated for pancreatitis if they report abdominal pain of unknown cause.