COMBINED SSRI-RIMA TREATMENT IN REFRACTORY DEPRESSION SAFETY DATA ANDEFFICACY

Eighteen patients with refractory depression (dysthymia with superimpo sed major depression) were treated with a combination of fluvoxamine a nd moclobemide for 6 weeks and compared with 18 patients treated with fluvoxamine only. Both groups had improved only slightly after 8 weeks of TCA treatment and 6 weeks of SSRI treatment. Two main observations can be made concerning safety and efficacy. Firstly, side effects in the SSRI-RIMA group were minimal. Secondly, the SSRI-RIMA combination treatment significantly improved depression in refractory depressed pa tients, with a decrease in depression of about 40%. The SSRI monothera py group also significantly improved, though only by about 20%, indica ting that positive effects of SSRI treatment may still develop even af ter 12 weeks of treatment. In conclusion, the study gives further supp ort to the hypothesis that SSRI-RIMA combinations may be safe and well tolerated. This treatment may also offer some therapeutic advantages in at least some patients who have not responded to conventional pharm acological treatment.