Antidepressants increase the risk of seizure 1.5 to 5.4-fold

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Tuesday, December 27, 2016 1:22 pm Email this article

Antidepressant use is associated with an increased risk of seizures / epilepsy according to a study from UK researchers.

The increased risk of seizures is as follows:

                                                                                                                                           

Antidepressant	Increased Risk of Seizure
Amitriptyline (Elavil)	1.9-fold
Dosulepin	2.2-fold
Lofepramine	3.1-fold
Trazodone	5.4-fold
Citalopram (Celexa)	2.0-fold
Escitalopram (Lexapro)	1.5-fold
Fluoxetine (Prozac)	1.5-fold
Paroxetine (Paxil)	2.0-fold
Sertraline (Zoloft)	1.6-fold
Venlafaxine (Effexor)	2.8-fold

 

Reference

Hill T, Coupland C, Morriss R, Arthur A, Moore M, and Hippisley-Cox J. Antidepressant use and risk of epilepsy and seizures in people aged 20 to 64 years: cohort study using a primary care database. BMC Psychiatry, 2015 Dec 17; 15: 315.

Author’s Contact Info

Carol Coupland
Division of Primary Care
School of Medicine
University of Nottingham
University Park
Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK
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• Antidepressants

• Seizures