Clinical Psychiatry News (Nov. 2009) published an article by Drs. Jan Leard-Hansson and Laurence Guttmacher entitled, “Treating Peginterferon-Induced Depression.” In order to determine the best evidence-based antidepressant treatment, the authors reviewed 170 studies but ultimately narrowed these down to 4 to include only randomized controlled trials.
Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is not an uncommon health condition among prison inmates. The three most common HCV genotypes that occur in North America are 1, 2, and 3. Genotype 1 is treated with a 48-week course of weekly IM peginterferon and daily oral ribavirin. Types 2 and 3 are treated with a 24-week course. Approximately 1/3 of patients undergoing peginterferon treatment develop depression. Of this 1/3 who develop depression, 3/4 become depressed within the first 8 weeks of treatment.
Anecdotally I have found that citalopram works well for most patients. I have found it fascinating to treat patients with no mental health history who have abruptly developed
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