The use of anticonvulsants to augment
antidepressant medication
by
Dietrich DE, Emrich HM
Abteilung Klinische Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie,
Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Germany.
J Clin Psychiatry 1998; 59 Suppl 5:51-8; discussion 59

ABSTRACT

Combination therapy that couples classical antidepressants with other psychoactive compounds is one of the major therapeutic strategies in therapy-resistant depression. The authors review reports on the antidepressive effects of the mood stabilizers carbamazepine and valproate and focus on the pharmacodynamic and clinical aspects of combining these compounds with antidepressant drugs. In addition, a pivotal study (N=10 outpatients) demonstrates the use and efficacy of a low-dose combination therapy of carbamazepine and amitriptyline. It is concluded that low-dose combination of classical antidepressants and mood stabilizers appears to be well tolerated and highly effective.

Options
Tiagabine
Dysthymia
Pregabalin
Anhedonia
Melancholy
Nefazodone
Mood stabilisers
Sodium valproate
Drugs and reward
PTSD and bereavement
Epilepsy and depression
Anticonvulsants and suicide
Neurobiology and genetics of anxiety
Anxioselective compounds and GABA(A)
Anticonvulsants as antidepressants for bipolars

Refs
HOME
HedWeb
Future Opioids
BLTC Research
Paradise-Engineering
Utopian Pharmacology
The Hedonistic Imperative
When Is It Best To Take Crack Cocaine?

The Good Drug Guide
The Responsible Parent's Guide
To Healthy Mood Boosters For All The Family