FLUOXETINE AND TICS IN AN ADOLESCENT

OBJECTIVE: To describe a case of tics associated with fluoxetine. CASE SUMMARY: A depressed adolescent was treated with fluoxetine. The pati ent had not been exposed to any other pharmacologic agents prior to th is treatment. Following eight months of fluoxetine therapy the patient developed numerous tics. The movements subsided six months after disc ontinuation of fluoxetine. DISCUSSION: Antidopaminergic effects have b een reported in patients treated with fluoxetine. Because fluoxetine i s aspecific serotonin reuptake inhibitor, one plausible explanation fo r the extrapyramidal symptoms observed in these patients is that serot onin modulates dopaminergic neurons. CONCLUSIONS: Extrapyramidal sympt oms have been reported in patients receiving fluoxetine, although neve r previously in an adolescent. This case report provides further evide nce that fluoxetine may be associated with severe extrapyramidal adver se reactions.