SSRI Efficacy—Finding the Right Dose

Abstract

The selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are a class of effective, well-tolerated antidepressants. They have a number of benefits compared with the tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) including improved safety in overdose, reduced side-effect burden, and uncomplicated dosing regimens. To avoid the potential for troublesome side effects with TCAs, doses should be gradually increased over several weeks. Dose titration can be associated with several drawbacks such as patients discontinuing therapy due to a prolonged time to therapeutic response, additional visits to a prescribing healthcare provider, or additional hospitalizations. In contrast, the SSRIs typically do not require dose titration since many patients find the initial dose effective. The ability to prescribe an initial optimum therapeutic dose while avoiding dose-related side effects is important in the treatment of major depression. With this in mind, the authors consider the recommended dose ranges for the five SSRIs: citalopram, fluoxetine, fluvoxamine, paroxetine, and sertraline.