Antidepressant Combinations May Double the Likelihood of Remission.

According to a study done by Blier et al published in the American Journal of Psychiatry (http://tinyurl.com/mirtazapine-combo) “the use of antidepressant combinations from treatment initiation may double the likelihood of remission compared with use of a single medication”. Various classes of antidepressant medications generally induce remission of major depressive disorder in only about one-third of patients. In a previous study using  mirtazapine or paroxetine alone or in combination from treatment initiation, the rate of patients who remitted within a 6-week period was twice that of patients using either drug alone. In the current study “remission rates (defined as a HAM-D score of 7 or less) were 25% for fluoxetine, 52% for mirtazapine plus fluoxetine, 58% for mirtazapine plus venlafaxine, and 46% for mirtazapine plus bupropion”.  “The study results, which add to a growing body of evidence, suggest that use of antidepressant combinations from treatment initiation may double the likelihood of remission compared with use of a single medication”.