Neuroendocrinological and Clinical Data upon Trazodone Treatment in Depressed Patients

Abstract

Prolactin and somatotropin secretory rhythmicity was studied in 7 inhibited depression male patients, evaluated by the Hamilton Rating Scale for depression, before and after trazodone (400 mg i.v. once daily) treatment. The mean 24-hour hormone levels of the patients were comparable to the controls. Trazodone enhances the prolactin value, increasing chiefly the titres during sleep which were lower in respect to controls before treatment. The drug decreases the mean 24-hour somatotropin levels, mainly the values during sleep. A serotoninergic effect is possibly involved. An improvement of mood has been observed in all cases.

“So sad and slow, so why can’t I turn off the radio”: The effects of gender, depression, and absorption on liking music that induces sadness and music that induces happiness

“…In prior research, people had lower levels of prolactin when they were depressed than when they were in recovery (Asnin, Nathan, Halbreich, Halpern, & Sachar, 1980;Lisansky et al, 1984) or not depressed (Garbutt, Loosen, Blacharsh, & Prange, 1986;Roccatagliata et al, 1982). Prolactin levels were higher for women who were depressed after treatment than they were for men who were depressed (Maes et al, 1989;Zis, Albala, Haskett, Carroll, Bernard, & Lohr, 1986).…”

Monoaminergic‐based Pharmacotherapy for Depression

“…Trazodone has been reported to increase prolactin levels (Otani et al, 1995;Roccatagliata et al, 1982). In one review trazodone was reported to carry one of the lowest risks for seizures of all antidepressants examined (Pisani et al, 1999), although there have been repots of hyponatremia and seizure during trazodone overdose (Balestrieri et al, 1992;Vanpee et al, 1999).…”

Drug-Induced Changes in Prolactin Secretion

“…If prolactin secretion is affected at all by antidepressant therapy, the change is less pronounced than with antipsychotic therapy. Short term administration of trazodone inhibits prolactin release (Roccatagliata et al 1979); long term administration is without effect on basal prolactin levels, but nocturnal prolactin release has been found to be elevated in depressive patients on trazodone therapy (Roccatagliata et al 1982;Rolandi et al 1981a). Nomifensine inhibits prolactin release (Laakmann et al 1978;Scanlon et al 1977), although this inhibitory effect has not been seen regularly in patients with prolactinomas Genazzani et al 1980).…”