Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Case Reports
. 2023 Apr 4;15(4):e37129.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.37129. eCollection 2023 Apr.

A Case of Mirtazapine-Induced Pancreatitis

Hunain Aslam  1 , Khalid Ahmed  1 , Peter A Iskander  1 , Mark M Aloysius  1 , Vikas Khurana  2 , Simin Nasr  3 , Mohammad Asim Amjad  1
Affiliations
Case Reports

A Case of Mirtazapine-Induced Pancreatitis

Hunain Aslam et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

Acute pancreatitis is a concerning cause of hospitalization in the United States, with the most common etiologies being secondary to alcohol abuse and gallstones. Rarely, medications can trigger this inflammatory response, whether via direct toxic effects or other metabolic derangements. Mirtazapine is an antidepressant that has been associated with elevations in triglyceride levels on initiation. Relatedly, high triglyceride levels and autoimmune disorders are other causes of pancreatitis exacerbations. Here, we present the case of a female who was started on mirtazapine therapy and found to have elevated triglyceride levels. The course was complicated by acute pancreatitis requiring plasmapheresis, despite medication discontinuation, to which she responded well.

Keywords: acute pancreatitis; antidepressants; inflammation; mirtazapine; peri-pancreatic inflammation; plasmapheresis.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Transverse cross-section CT imaging of the abdomen with the arrow depicting edema surrounding the pancreas.
Figure 2
Figure 2. Vertical cross-section CT imaging of the abdomen with the arrow depicting edema surrounding the pancreas.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Methods for the early detection of drug-induced pancreatitis: a systematic review of the literature. Wolfe D, Kanji S, Yazdi F, Skidmore B, Moher D, Hutton B. BMJ Open. 2019;9:0. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Drug induced pancreatitis. Nitsche CJ, Jamieson N, Lerch MM, Mayerle JV. Best Pract Res Clin Gastroenterol. 2010;24:143–155. - PubMed
    1. Mirtazapine-induced acute pancreatitis in patients with depression: a systematic review. Milosavljević MN, Janković SM, Kostić MJ, Pejčić AV. J Psychiatr Pract. 2023;29:58–70. - PubMed
    1. American College of Gastroenterology guideline: management of acute pancreatitis. Tenner S, Baillie J, DeWitt J, Vege SS. Am J Gastroenterol. 2013;108:1400–1415. - PubMed
    1. A review of the pharmacological and clinical profile of mirtazapine. Anttila SA, Leinonen EV. CNS Drug Rev. 2001;7:249–264. - PMC - PubMed

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources