BMJ 1995;311:1641 (16 December)

Letters

Deciding which selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor to prescribe

EDITOR,--Recent articles have debated the relative costs of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors for depression in relation to their tolerability and efficacy.1 2 I M Anderson and B M Tomenson raise the point that cost-benefit analyses should include real life prescribing situations rather than the atypical situations found in short clinical trials.1

Intense media publicity and debate have been given to fluoxetine, with many sensational stories and claims being made. Particular prominence has been given to stories of suicide, aggression, and personality changes in patients taking the drug, despite the paucity of supporting evidence.3 This has led, understandably, to great concern in many patients taking the drug. I have begun to spend a large proportion of consultations with patients for whom I have prescribed fluoxetine discussing these news items and repeating the true facts about the drug.

In a retrospective audit of my practice over the past 18 months I found that . . . [Full text of this article]


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Relevant Article

Treatment discontinuation with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors compared with tricyclic antidepressants: a meta-analysis
I M Anderson and B M Tomenson
BMJ 1995 310: 1433-1438. [Abstract] [Full Text]

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