TY - JOUR
T1 - Thyroxine augmentation of fluoxetine treatment for resistant depression in the elderly
T2 - An open trial
AU - Barak, Yoram
AU - Stein, Daniel
AU - Levine, Joseph
AU - Ring, Aliza
AU - Hadjez, Jack
AU - Elizur, Avner
AU - Shoshani, David
N1 - Funding Information:
In response to the increasing numbers of the over 65s. the Medical Research Council and the Department of Health funded this the MRC ALPHA Study (part of MRC CFAS). The main aims are to estimate the prevalence and incidence of dementia; its natural history and course; to refine measures for its early detection and the relationship between clinical. neuropsychological. imaging and neuropathological measures for the diagnosis of dementia.
PY - 1996/11
Y1 - 1996/11
N2 - Drug resistant depression is a confounding entity. More so in populations of elderly depressives where addition of lithium or antidepressant combinations are possibly hazardous. We present an open-trial of thyroxine in elderly patients diagnosed as suffering from resistant depression. Methods - Thyroxine 50 mcg/day was added to fluoxetine 20 mg/day in patients who did not respond to previous, non-SSRI, antidepressant treatment (6 weeks), nor to an additional 6 weeks of fluoxetine. Subjects - Subjects were diagnosed as suffering from major depression, according to DSM-III-R criteria. All had normal thyroid function tests (TSH and FT4). There were 15 patients in our series: nine females, six males; mean age 72.1 years (± 6.5). Results - Patients depression severity was graded using the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale at baseline (before thyroxine augmentation), and 4 weeks after initiation of treatment. Ten of 15 patients responded to thyroxine augmentation (HDRS < 10), 3/15 showed no improvement of HDRS scores and two dropped out due to adverse effects: diarrhoea and tachycardia. Conclusions - Thyroxine augmentation of fluoxetine is effective in elderly subjects resistant to standard treatment, and is relatively safe.
AB - Drug resistant depression is a confounding entity. More so in populations of elderly depressives where addition of lithium or antidepressant combinations are possibly hazardous. We present an open-trial of thyroxine in elderly patients diagnosed as suffering from resistant depression. Methods - Thyroxine 50 mcg/day was added to fluoxetine 20 mg/day in patients who did not respond to previous, non-SSRI, antidepressant treatment (6 weeks), nor to an additional 6 weeks of fluoxetine. Subjects - Subjects were diagnosed as suffering from major depression, according to DSM-III-R criteria. All had normal thyroid function tests (TSH and FT4). There were 15 patients in our series: nine females, six males; mean age 72.1 years (± 6.5). Results - Patients depression severity was graded using the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale at baseline (before thyroxine augmentation), and 4 weeks after initiation of treatment. Ten of 15 patients responded to thyroxine augmentation (HDRS < 10), 3/15 showed no improvement of HDRS scores and two dropped out due to adverse effects: diarrhoea and tachycardia. Conclusions - Thyroxine augmentation of fluoxetine is effective in elderly subjects resistant to standard treatment, and is relatively safe.
KW - depression
KW - elderly
KW - fluoxetine
KW - thyroxine
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0030476280&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1002/(SICI)1099-1077(199611)11:6<463::AID-HUP816>3.0.CO;2-H
DO - 10.1002/(SICI)1099-1077(199611)11:6<463::AID-HUP816>3.0.CO;2-H
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AN - SCOPUS:0030476280
SN - 0885-6222
VL - 11
SP - 463
EP - 467
JO - Human Psychopharmacology
JF - Human Psychopharmacology
IS - 6
ER -