Martin M. Katz: Onset of clinical action of antidepressants

Carlos Morra’s response to Martin M. Katz’s reply to Carlos Morra’s comment

Thank you for your reply. I would like to repeat that I don’t know whether one can predict on the basis of your data within a week whether a particular depressed patient will respond to treatment with a particular antidepressant. Yet, I do know that many practicing psychiatrists share my opinion that from the clinical changes perceived, regardless of whether documented by rating scale scores, they can judge whether they should continue treatment after one week. I wonder about the justification for continuing treatment after one week without any encouraging clinical cues on the basis of a questionable neuropharmacological theory with drugs, which may cause side effects in twice as many patients when prescribed than one can expect to favorably respond to them (Ban  2008).

Reference:

Ban TA. Comment on antidepressant medications and other treatments of depressive disorders: a CINP Task Force report based on a review of evidence. The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology 2008; 11:583-5.

Carlos Morra

August 11, 2016