FEASIBILITY OF PHARMACOTHERAPY IN HIV-RELATED AFFECTIVE SPECTRUM DISORDERS - AN OPEN TRIAL WITH FLUVOXAMINE

Among HIV patients treated for AIDS-related adjustment, major depressi ve disorders and other affective disorders, we assessed in an open stu dy the feasibility of using a serotonergic antidepressant (fluvoxamine ). Thirty-five seropositive patients with the above conditions (22 men and 13 women) were followed over a minimum period of four weeks. At t he end of the treatment, a large number of patients (77%) showed marke d improvement. ''Nuclear'' depressive and anxiety symptoms remitted, w hile the ''somatic'' ones seemed less sensitive to treatment. Treatmen t had to be terminated prematurely due to side effects in only two pat ients (6%).