BREAST ENLARGEMENT DURING CHRONIC ANTIDEPRESSANT THERAPY

Recent reports of mammoplasia during selective serotonin re-uptake inh ibitor (SSRI) therapy suggested that this side effect may be more comm on than previously reported. We examined 59 women receiving greater th an or equal to 2 months treatment with an SSRI or venlafaxine for chan ges in breast size in relation to menopausal status, weight gain and d uration of drug therapy. Serum prolactin, estradiol and beta-hCG were also measured before and during treatment in a subgroup of patients. T wenty-three out of 59 patients (39%) reported some degree of mammoplas ia. Significantly more SSRI vs. venlafaxine patients reported mammopla sia (p<0.01). Eighty-four percent with mammoplasia had weight gain vs. 30% without mammoplasia (p<0.001). The rate of mammoplasia was unrela ted to age, menopausal status or duration of treatment. Serum prolacti n increased during treatment in the paroxetine subgroup (p<0.03). In c onclusion, antidepressant-induced mammoplasia may be more common than previously expected. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.