[Amineptin dependence. Detection of patients at risk. Report of 8 cases]

The authors relate eight cases of amineptine dependency collected between 1980 and 1988 in 7 women and 1 man treated in the CHU of Besançon (France). The pharmacodependency appeared to be limited mainly to an abuse and a psychic dependence, i.e. a compulsive need to use the drug on a periodic (two cases) or continuing (six cases) basis in order to experience its psychomotor stimulant like effect. The used dosages ranged between 1,000 and 2,500 mg per day. The daily dose was divided into little doses, every hour for example. The induction modality was progressive during weeks or months and a stable dose period was then encountered. In one patient only, we observed a progressive increase of the dose without stabilisation of the dose. The withdrawal of amineptine was obtained without problem except in 2 cases where we observed clinical manifestations of anxiety, psychomotor agitation or bulimia during one day. Four years after the beginning, amineptine dependence was still present in 2 patients. In 4 patients we obtained an interruption of the amineptine pharmacodependency for one to three years. We did not see again the two remaining patients. In two cases, the main diagnosis, according to DSM III, was a major personality disorder (borderline). In the six other cases the diagnosis was a bipolar affective disorder (including four cases with only hypomanic episodes only). In these six patients the main characteristic of their affective illness was the association with other psychiatric disorders, especially personality disorders, such as borderline personality in one case and atypical personality with uncontrolled behavior as the main feature, in the 5 other patients.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)