[en] The relationship between plasma drug level of venlafaxine and daily intake was studied in 89 major depressive inpatients. In addition, changes over time in severity were assessed weekly in a subgroup of 22 depressed patients using the Montgomery and Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) and the Clinical Global Impression improvement scale. The results indicate a moderate correlation between daily doses and plasma concentrations, together with a higher relationship between improvement on the MADRS scale and concentration. Moreover, plasma concentrations (for venlafaxine and its predominant metabolite, O-desmethylvenlafaxine) up to 400 microg/l can be considered as effective, as already suggested in a previous study. No case of venlafaxine discontinuation occurred during the longitudinal study, and the incidence of adverse event, as estimated by the Target Emergent Symptoms and Side-effects scale, was low, suggesting that the drug is well tolerated for such plasma concentrations.
Disciplines :
Neurology Neurosciences & behavior
Author, co-author :
Charlier, Corinne ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de pharmacie > Chimie toxicologique
Pinto, Emmanuel ; Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Liège - CHU > Psychiatrie et psychologie médicale
Ansseau, Marc ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département des sciences cliniques > Psychiatrie et psychologie médicale
Plomteux, Guy ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Services généraux (Faculté de médecine) > Relations académiques et scientifiques (Médecine)
Language :
English
Title :
Venlafaxine: the relationship between dose, plasma concentration and clinical response in depressive patients
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