ACUTE FLUVOXAMINE POISONING

A total of 221 cases of deliberate acute overdose with fluvoxamine rep orted to the Paris Poison Centre, and 78 cases collected by the Intern ational Drug Safety Department of Duphar BY were analysed. Other agent s, mainly benzodiazepines, neuroleptics, other antidepressants and alc ohol, were also taken in 77% of the cases. The acute toxicity that cou ld be attributed to fluvoxamine alone was rarely severe. The symptoms observed were always benign when the dose of fluvoxamine was below 100 0 mg and included drowsiness, tremor, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain , bradycardia and/or anticholinergic effects (dry mouth, mydriasis, si nus tachycardia, urinary retention). Seizures occurred in a few cases after high doses (generally > 1500 mg). Cardiotoxicity was not a serio us problem; sinus bradycardia was noted with doses of less than 1000 m g, but was always moderate and required no treatment. Conduction abnor malities were rare.