M. Ferreri et al., Benefits from mianserin augmentation of fluoxetine in patients with major depression non-responders to fluoxetine alone, ACT PSYC SC, 103(1), 2001, pp. 66-72
Objective: To assess. in depressed patients, the clinical benefit of mianse
rin augmentation of fluoxetine or the the benefit of switching treatment fr
om fluoxetine to mianserin.
Method: In a 6-week double-blind study we compared the therapeutic efficien
cy and tolerance of mianserin 60 mg/day (N = 34), mianserin 60 mg/day plus
fluoxetine 20 mg/day (N = 32) and continuing fluoxetine 20 mg/day (N = 38)
in patients with major depression who did not respond to previous fluoxetin
e treatment.
Results: Intent-to-treat analysis showed that at week 6 the decrease in the
Hamilton Depression rating scale score was significantly (P less than or e
qual to 0.03) greater in the mianserin plus fluoxetine group when compared
to the fluoxetine group (effect size 0.665). Switching from fluoxetine to m
ianserin gave intermediate results. Mianserin augmentation of fluoxetine wa
s well tolerated.
Conclusion: Mianserin augmentation of fluoxetine in patients nonresponders
to fluoxetine 20 mg/day increases response to treatment and is well tolerat
ed.