Nefazodone overdose: A case report

Nefazodone (Serzone) is one of the newer medications developed to treat maj or depression. It is a phenylpiperazine derivative that inhibits the reupta ke of both norepinephrine and serotonin and antagonizes the 5HT(2) and alph a-one adrenergic receptors. It is well tolerated by patients, and is felt t o have a much wider margin of safety than older antidepressants. We report the case of a woman who attempted suicide by ingesting a large amount of ne fazodone and a smaller amount of verapamil. We review the literature regard ing nefazodone side effects and previous cases of overdose, discuss the cli nical complications of such an overdose and discuss treatment recommendatio n.