Venlafaxine and bupropion combination therapy
in a case of treatment-resistant depression
by
Fatemi SH, Emamian ES, Kist DA
Department of Psychiatry,
School of Medicine,
University of Minnesota, Minneapolis 55455, USA.
Ann Pharmacother 1999 Jun; 33(6):701-3

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To report the therapeutic efficacy of venlafaxine and bupropion in a patient with treatment-refractory major depression. CASE SUMMARY: A 21-year-old white woman with chronic and recurrent major depression presented with lack of response to several antidepressants. On examination, the patient exhibited neurovegetative signs of depression, guilt feelings, and suicidal ideation. The patient was administered venlafaxine 75 mg three times daily. The dose was titrated to 150 mg three times daily over the next month. Later bupropion was instituted up to 100 mg three times daily over a four-month period. The patient responded favorably to combination therapy and has remained free of depression for approximately 23 months. DISCUSSION: Venlafaxine and bupropion are antidepressant agents with unique pharmacologic profiles, each effective in the treatment of depression. Recent data indicate that combinations of selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors and bupropion can convert partial response to full response in patients with treatment-resistant depression. We considered whether a combination of venlafaxine and bupropion would reduce the depressive symptoms of a patient who was unresponsive to various classes of psychotropic agents. Gradual administration of venlafaxine and bupropion acted synergistically to significantly reduce depressive symptoms (p < 0.002) and significantly increase social function (p < 0.002) over a period of eight months. CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge this is the first report of successful combination therapy with venlafaxine and bupropion in treatment of chronic recurrent and refractory major depression.

SSRIs
Options
Serotonin
Dopamine
Fluoxetine
Venlafaxine
Venlafaxine v SSRIs
Venlafaxine: structure
Venlafaxine v fluoxetine
Venlafaxine pharmacology
Venlafaxine plus buspirone
Venlafaxine and depression
Venlafaxine and neuropeptides
Venlafaxine and major depression
Venlafaxine XR for anxiety disorders
Venlafaxine (Effexor) v clomipramine for OCD
Venlafaxine, emotional processing and the brain
Depression treated with different formulations of venlafaxine

Refs
and further reading

HOME
HedWeb
Nootropics
cocaine.wiki
Future Opioids
BLTC Research
MDMA/Ecstasy
Superhapiness?
Utopian Surgery?
The Abolitionist Project
The Hedonistic Imperative
The Reproductive Revolution
Critique of Huxley's Brave New World

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