Lamotrigine add-on therapy to venlafaxine treatment in adolescent-onset bipolar II disorder: a case report covering an 8-month observation period
Makaleler > Tam Makale · 2006
Yazarlar: Tezan BİLDİK, M. TAMAR, S. KORKMAZ, S. GOKCEN, Nazlı Burcu ÖZBARAN, S. ERERMIS, C. AYDIN
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY AND THERAPEUTICS, SCI Expanded İndekslerine Giren Dergi, Uluslararası, 2006, cilt 44, ss 198-206
DOI: 10.5414/cpp44198
Özet
Observations made with lamotrigine add-on therapy with venlafaxine in this case give clues for some aspects of its use in adolescent-onset bipolar 11 disorder. An 18-year-old adolescent boy with a 3-year history of bipolar 11 disorder had experienced 2 episodes of hypomania and 4 episodes of major depression. He had been depressed for the last 3 months and had taken olanzapine 5 mg daily for over 6 weeks as mood stabilizer but was still depressed at referral. Other aspects of the patient history included anhedonia, psychomotor retardation, poor concentration, a feeling of hopelessness, hypersonmia, overeating, weight gain, low energy and a refusal to attend school. Parents reported that his symptoms had recently become more severe. His medicine was replaced by venlafaxine, which has a more rapid onset of action and is often used in bipolar depression, especially in patients with atypical depression. Since the clinical response at 6 weeks was only partial, lamotrigine was added to this regimen. The patient responded to lamotrigine after 3 weeks of treatment while on a dose of 50 mg/day. After 6 weeks of treatment, whilst on a dose of 75 mg/day, his symptoms remitted completely with no evidence of any adverse effects. At the time of publication of this article, the patient had remained euthymic for a total of 8 months. The present report shows that lamotrigine add-on therapy with venlafaxine facilitated clinical remission and that this combination is well tolerated.