Induction of mania with selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors and tricyclic antidepressants

Abstract

The rate of treatment-emergent switch into mania has been calculated from all available clinical trial data on the selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs) fluoxetine, fluvoxamine, paroxetine, and sertraline, relative to comparative groups treated with tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) or placebo. In predominantly unipolar depressives, the rate of manic switch is less than 1% and differences between drugs and placebo are statistically but not clinically significant. In bipolar depressives, manic switch occurs substantially more often with TCAs (11.2%) than with SSRIs (3.7%) or placebo (4.2%).