HYPONATREMIA AND SELECTIVE SEROTONIN REUPTAKE INHIBITORS

Part 1 describes the case of a 74-year-old woman who experienced a wor sening of her psychiatric condition shortly after commencing fluoxetin e and was found to have a low serum sodium level. The clinical feature s of hyponatraemia and its causes are reviewed. Part 2 reviews the rep orts of hyponatraemia and the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and considers the variation in reports between the different S SRIs. Measurement of a patient's electrolytes is recommended if there is a rapid decline in mental state having started on an SSRI.