Bupropion in the treatment of major depressive disorder in real-life practice

Clin Drug Investig. 2011 Oct 19:31 Suppl 1:19-24. doi: 10.2165/1159617-S0-000000000-00000.

Abstract

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is one of the most common mental disorders, with a lifetime prevalence of approximately 13% in Europe. Although the primary symptom of MDD is depressed mood and a loss of interest or pleasure in everyday life, patients with MDD often present with a variety of other symptoms, such as sleep disturbances, fatigue, anxiety and somatic complaints. Antidepressant drugs are frequently used as first-line therapy for MDD. Bupropion is a second-generation antidepressant drug that inhibits reuptake of the neurotransmitters dopamine and norepinephrine, and has no direct serotonergic effects, a unique property among antidepressants. This article highlights the use of bupropion in the treatment of three patients with varying presentations of MDD, including as combination therapy in a patient refractory to treatment with a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, monotherapy in a patient with somatic symptoms of depression and loss of libido, and in a patient complaining of anxiety as a symptom of MDD. Bupropion treatment was successful in all patients, resulting in remission of symptoms and the patients returning to their normal lives.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation / administration & dosage
  • Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation / pharmacology
  • Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation / therapeutic use*
  • Bupropion / administration & dosage
  • Bupropion / pharmacology
  • Bupropion / therapeutic use*
  • Depressive Disorder, Major / drug therapy*
  • Depressive Disorder, Major / physiopathology
  • Dopamine Uptake Inhibitors / pharmacology
  • Dopamine Uptake Inhibitors / therapeutic use
  • Drug Therapy, Combination
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Remission Induction / methods
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation
  • Dopamine Uptake Inhibitors
  • Bupropion