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Related Experiment Videos

Fenfluramine augmentation in tricyclic-refractory depression.

L H Price1, D S Charney, P L Delgado

  • 1Clinical Neuroscience Research Unit, Abraham Ribicoff Research Facilities, Connecticut Mental Health Center, New Haven 06508.

Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology
|October 1, 1990
PubMed
Summary

Fenfluramine did not improve treatment-resistant depression when added to desipramine. This study suggests fenfluramine lacks the properties of lithium for augmenting antidepressant therapy in major depression.

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Pharmacology
  • Psychiatry

Background:

  • Refractory depression often requires augmentation strategies.
  • Lithium augmentation is effective, possibly via enhanced presynaptic 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) function.
  • Fenfluramine also affects 5-HT, making it a potential augmenting agent.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate fenfluramine's efficacy in augmenting tricyclic antidepressant treatment for refractory depression.
  • To compare fenfluramine's augmentation effects to lithium's known properties.

Main Methods:

  • A placebo-controlled trial involving 15 patients with major depression unresponsive to desipramine.
  • Fenfluramine (40-120 mg/day) was added to ongoing desipramine treatment.
  • Assessed clinical improvement and desipramine plasma levels.

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Main Results:

  • No significant clinical improvement was observed with fenfluramine augmentation.
  • One patient showed improvement, while another worsened.
  • Fenfluramine more than doubled desipramine plasma levels, indicating a drug interaction.

Conclusions:

  • Fenfluramine is not effective for augmenting desipramine in refractory depression.
  • Fenfluramine's mechanism differs from lithium's augmentation properties.
  • Fenfluramine is not recommended for routine management of treatment-resistant depression.