Use of antipsychotic agents has been associated with hyperprolactinemia, or elevated prolactin levels; this hormonal abnormality can interfere with the functioning of reproductive, endocrine, and metabolic systems. As antipsychotic agents are increasingly used for both United States Food and Drug Administration-approved and nonapproved indications, many individuals are at risk for developing antipsychotic-induced hyperprolactinemia. First-generation antipsychotics pose the greatest risk of causing this adverse effect; however, second-generation antipsychotics, particularly risperidone and paliperidone, also often increase prolactin secretion. Hyperprolactinemia has short- and long-term consequences that can seriously affect quality of life: menstrual disturbances, galactorrhea, sexual dysfunction, gynecomastia, infertility, decreased bone mineral density, and breast cancer. Although many of these are definitively connected to elevated prolactin levels, some, such as breast cancer, require further study. Both clinicians and patients should be aware of hyperprolactinemia-associated effects. To prevent or alleviate the condition, tailoring an antipsychotic drug regimen to each individual patient is essential. In addition, the risk of hyperprolactinemia can be minimized by using the lowest effective dose of the antipsychotic agent. If the effects of prolactin are evident, the drug can be changed to another agent that is less likely to affect prolactin levels; alternatively, a dopamine agonist may be added, although this may compromise antipsychotic efficacy. Additional research is needed to clarify the appropriate level of monitoring, the long-term effects, and the optimal treatment of antipsychotic-induced hyperprolactinemia.

For clinicians who choose not to use citalopram due to recent Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommendations, other antidepressants within this class may be considered. When citalopram is not utilized based on risk factors for TdP, use of escitalopram is not likely the safest alternative. Based on current literature, fluoxetine, fluvoxamine, and sertraline appear to have similar, low risk for QT prolongation, and paroxetine appears to have the lowest risk. However, there are significant limitations in interpreting the studies, including varying definitions of significant QT prolongation. Therefore, choice of an alternative SSRI should be based on individual risk factors for arrhythmias and other patient-specific factors.

Treatment-resistant depression (TRD) is a major health concern. More than 40% of patients treated for major depressive disorder with an appropriate antidepressant dose for an adequate duration fail to respond. Further, approximately half of adults with major depressive disorder fail to achieve sustained remission despite various medication trials. The utilization of monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) for the treatment of depression in clinical practice today is low due to their widely known adverse effects, some of which may be life threatening, and the risk for dietary and drug interactions. For these reasons, MAOIs are not recommended to be prescribed along with other antidepressants or certain prescription or nonprescription drugs. Pharmacologic options are limited for individuals with TRD, however, and there is a paucity of data on the efficacy of MAOIs in combination with other antidepressants for the management of TRD. We performed a search of the PubMed database (inception through January 25, 2015) to identify cases that illustrate the potential utility, as well as risks, of combination treatment with MAOIs and other antidepressants for the management of TRD; 18 articles met the criteria for our search. In addition, we performed a retrospective case series by reviewing the medical records of 29 adults treated for depression with an MAOI plus another psychotropic agent (an antidepressant or stimulant medication) between 2003 and 2012 at a large Midwestern teaching hospital. We compared the findings of the published experience with our local experience to allow for more informed decisions regarding pharmacotherapy in patients with TRD. We separated the local experience into two groups: 15 cases with the selective MAO type B inhibitor selegiline combined with medications presumed to increase the risk of serotonin syndrome and 14 cases with nonselective MAOIs (phenelzine and tranylcypromine) combined with other contraindicated medications. Although risks of combination treatment certainly exist with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, or clomipramine, the current literature supports cautious use of combining MAOIs with other antidepressants in patients with TRD who have failed multiple treatment modalities. In addition, the data from the 29 patients receiving combination therapy with an MAOI and another antidepressant or stimulant medication revealed that 21% improved significantly, with no complications. This case series and literature review suggest that when used under close supervision and under the care of an experienced clinician in psychiatry, combination therapy may be a consideration for the management of TRD in patients not responding to monotherapy or other combinations of antidepressants.

Based on the current literature, risk of QT/QTc prolongation with the majority of newer non-SSRI antidepressants at therapeutic doses is low. The highest risk for QT prolongation appears to exist in overdose situations with venlafaxine and bupropion. Given the few to nonexistent controlled studies and confounding variables present in case reports, it is difficult to draw conclusions on QT prolongation risk with many of the newer non-SSRI antidepressants.