Optimal Antidepressant Doses in Major Depression

Topics: Antidepressants | Bupropion | Citalopram | Depression | Depressive Disorder | Escitalopram | Fluoxetine | Mirtazapine | Paroxetine | Pharmacology | Pharmacology Tips | Research | Research Update | Sertraline | SSRIs | Venlafaxine | Wellbutrin

Review of: Furukawa TA et al, Lancet Psychiatry;2019;6(7):601–609 Type of study: Systematic review and meta-analysis Most antidepressants do not have a linear response curve. In other words, the benefits level off as the dose goes up. If the dose gets too high, the side effects start to outweigh those diminishing returns. What’s not clear is whe

Pharmacology for GAD: Complex Choices

Topics: Cymbalta | Duloxetine | Effexor | Generalized Anxiety Disorder | Lyrica | Pharmacology | Pregabalin | Research | Research Update | SSRIs | Venlafaxine

Review of: Slee A et al, Lancet 2019;393(10173):768–777 Study Type: Network meta-analysis With over 2 dozen choices, how do we pick a medication for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)? The authors of this network meta-analysis sought to answer this question. Network meta-analysis allows researchers to gauge treatments that haven’t been directly c

Mirtazapine Augmentation: Running Low on Rocket Fuel

Topics: Antidepressant Augmentation | Antidepressants | Depression | Depressive Disorder | Mirtazapine | Pharmacology | Pharmacology Tips | Psychopharm Myths | Psychopharmacology | Psychopharmacology Tips | SSRIs | Treatment-Resistant Depression | Venlafaxine

Adding mirtazapine (Remeron) to a serotonergic antidepressant is a popular augmentation strategy. When added to venlafaxine, the combo was thought to possess a particularly potent synergy that Stephen Stahl called “California Rocket Fuel.” However, the strategy has failed in a handful of new studies, some of them much larger than the original data.