Skip to main content
Log in

Antidepressant response and fluvoxamine plasma concentrations: a pilot study

  • Published:
Pharmacy World and Science Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The objective of this pilot study was to examine the relation between fluvoxamine (FVX) plasma concentrations, therapeutic response and side effects during a four-week treatment period. Twenty‐two patients who met the DSM‐IV criteria for major depression received 100 mg FVX during the first 2 days of treatment and then 150 or 200 mg/day. No clear relationship between plasma concentrations and side effects was detectable. A relationship between plasma concentrations and clinical efficacy was detectable after 21 days but not after 28 days of treatment. These preliminary results indicate that therapeutic drug monitoring might be useful for patients treated with FVX.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Vozeh S. Cost-effectiveness of therapeutic drug monitoring. Clin Pharmacokinet 1987; 13: 131–40.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Schweitzer C, Spahn H, Mutschler E. Fluorimetric determination of fluvoxamine or clovoxamine in human plasma after thin-layer chromatographic or high-performance liquid chromatographic separation. J Chromatogr 1986; 382: 405–11.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Sandmann J, Lörch B, Bandelow B, Härtter S, Winter P, Hiemke C et al. Fluvoxamine or placebo in the treatment of panic disorder and relationship to blood concentrations of fluvoxamine. Pharmacopsychiatry 1998; 31(4): 117–21.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Spigest O, Granberg K, Hägg S, Söderström E, Dahlqvist R. Non-linear fluvoxamine disposition. Br J Clin Pharmacol 1998; 45(3): 257–63.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Brasseur R, Van Moffaert M, Mesotten F, Ansseau M, Uytdenhoef P, Bartholome F. A Belgian multicentre study of fluvoxamine in depressive outpatients. Acta Psychiatr Belg 1985; 85(5): 636–43.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Lapierre YD, Browne M, Horn E, Oyewumi LK, Sarantidis D, Roberts N et al. Treatment of major affective disorder with fluvoxamine. J Clin Psychiatry 1987; 48(2): 65–8.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Kasper S, Dötsch M, Kick H, Vieira A, Möller HJ. Plasma concentrations of fluvoxamine and maprotiline in major depression: implications on therapeutic efficacy and side effects. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 1993; 3: 13–21.

    Google Scholar 

  8. De Wilde JEM, Doogan DP. Fluvoxamine and clomipramine in endogenous depression. J Affect Disord 1982; 4: 249–59 (Abstract).

    Google Scholar 

  9. Devane CL, Gill HS. Clinical pharmacokinetics of fluvoxamine: applications to dosage regimen design. J Clin Psychiatry1997; 58(5 Suppl): 7–14.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Kasper S, Dötsch M, Vieira A. Plasma levels of fluvoxamine and maprotiline and clinical response in major depression. Pharmacopsychiatry 1992; 25: 106.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Schwarzenbach, F., Demoly, P., Bisschop, D. et al. Antidepressant response and fluvoxamine plasma concentrations: a pilot study. Pharm World Sci 25, 27–29 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022410306577

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022410306577

Navigation