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Effect of fluoxetine on melatonin in patients with seasonal affective disorder and matched controls
P A Childs1, I Rodin, N J Martin
1University Department of Psychiatry, Royal South Hants Hospital, Southampton.
Background:
The aim was to investigate the secretion profile of melatonin and seasonal affective disorder before and after treatment with fluoxetine.
Method:
A six-week case-controlled study with repeated overnight blood sampling was conducted. Ten patients fulfilling the criteria for major depressive disorder, seasonal type, with a 29-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) score of at least 20 were compared with ten age- and sex-matched healthy controls in a clinical laboratory. The effects of fluoxetine (20 mg/day) on the HDRS and melatonin concentration were measured.
Results:
Fluoxetine significantly reduced melatonin levels in both groups. There was no significant difference in melatonin secretion between the groups.
Conclusions:
The effect of fluoxetine differs from tricyclics and fluvoxamine, both of which increase melatonin.