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Biomedical subjects

C Stuppaeck

Publications and source records attributed to C Stuppaeck.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

Intravenous mirtazapine is safe and effective in the treatment of depressed inpatients.

Mirtazapine is a third-generation antidepressant with a dual mode of action. The oral administration has been shown to be effective and safe in the treatment of depressed patients. In this multicenter naturalistic study, we assessed the safety, tolerability, and therapeutic efficacy of intravenously administered mirtazapine in 80 moderately to severely depressed inpatients during a treatment period of 14 days. We found a significant decrease of the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale total score compared to baseline. Side effects were mild and transient. Our data indicate that intravenous mirtazapine is an effective, safe and well-tolerated treatment for depressed inpatients.

Adolescent↗

Cardiomyopathy after long-term treatment with lithium - more than a coincidence?

We describe a patient suffering from dilative cardiomyopathy after 16 years of treatment with lithium carbonate. The literature concerning lithium and cardiac adverse reactions is briefly reviewed. There is good evidence for acute cardiac reactions, especially cardiac arrhythmia but a rather speculative association with long-term reactions such as cardiomyopathy. Nevertheless clinicians should be aware of this rare but life threatening conjunction of cardiac disease and lithium treatment.

Antimanic Agents↗

Risperidone and breast-feeding.

We present the case of a breast-feeding woman with acute psychotic symptoms after delivery, which were treated with the antipsychotic agent risperidone. Serum levels of risperidone and 9-hydroxyrisperidone could be detected in both the mother and her infant. Drug-levels in breast milk were ten-fold lower compared to maternal serum. The patient responded well to antipsychotic treatment. Her infant did not display any adverse effects and psychomotor development was normal. In this case, risperidone was a safe treatment option for the breast-feeding mother and her infant. We also provide a brief overview of the clinically relevant data concerning antipsychotics and breast-feeding.

Adult↗

The role of carbamazepine in the prophylaxis of unipolar depression.

The prophylaxis of unipolar depression is still a controversial subject. Some authors prefer lithium, others maintenance treatment with antidepressants. The role of carbamazepine remains unclear. Few patients have been described in the literature, and most are lithium nonresponders or rapid cyclers. In an open-label naturalistic study, 15 patients suffering from unipolar depression (DSM-III, 296.2, 296.3) and receiving long-term prophylaxis with carbamazepine were followed for 5 years. Four had been pretreated with lithium without satisfactory effects, 11 were prophylaxis naive. The mean time span patients received carbamazepine was 49.5 months. 73% of the patients gained substantial profit from carbamazepine. Side effects were infrequent.

Carbamazepine↗

Carbamazepine in the prophylaxis of mood disorders.

Alternatives to lithium are desirable in the prophylaxis of affective disorders, especially in patients who are intolerant of or do not respond to that drug. In the past few years the anticonvulsant carbamazepine has been in the foreground of discussion. Twenty-four patients with affective disorders (17 unipolar depressed, six bipolar, and one unipolar manic) were included in a comparative trial of lithium and carbamazepine; 12 had been pretreated with lithium without a satisfactory effect. All patients received carbamazepine (four received it in combination with lithium) over a mean time span of 20.2 months. Eighty percent of the patients improved with carbamazepine treatment. Side effects were infrequent.

Adult↗