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Platelet counts in depressed patients treated with amitriptyline or paroxetine
F Lederbogen1, E Hörer, R Hellweg
1Central Institute of Mental Health, J5, 68159 Mannheim, Germany. lederbog@as200.zi-mannheim.de
Objective:
To assess whether therapy with two widely used antidepressants influences platelet counts.
Subjects And Methods:
In 90 patients hospitalized for treatment of a major depressive episode according to DSM-IV, platelet counts were performed after a 6 d antidepressant-free run-in period and again after 35 d of active standardized treatment with amitriptyline (n = 40) or paroxetine (n = 50).
Results:
There was a trend for platelet counts to increase during treatment with amitriptyline (from 245.5 +/- 68.6 to 256.8 +/- 69 cells x 10(9) L(-1), P < 0.06); no change was observed during treatment with paroxetine (from 232.6 +/- 58.3 to 234.6 +/- 68.9 cells x 10(9) L(-1), n.s).
Conclusion:
Treatment with amitriptyline tends to be associated with elevated platelet counts. The cause for this increase is not known, but may be relevant in terms of patients' long-term thromboembolic risk.