Significant improvement of risperidone-induced retrograde ejaculation on drug holidays: a case report

Risperidone, which is one of the most commonly prescribed second-generation antipsychotics can cause several sexual adverse effects. To date, research on the sexual side effects of risperidone has been mostly restricted to symptoms of decreased libido, erectile dysfunction and delayed ejaculation and far too little attention has been paid to risperidone associated retrograde ejaculation. What is not clear is that whether this side effect appears in a dose-dependent manner and whether structured treatment interruptions/drug holidays can diminish sexual adverse effects without a reduction in treatment efficacy. Another question is whether concurrent use of opiates and risperidone can increase the risk of retrograde ejaculation due to their anticholinergic and adrenergic blocking properties. Here we describe a case of a 30-year-old male with schizophrenia and opium dependence who developed risperidone-induced retrograde ejaculation; however, the ejaculatory dysfunction improved significantly on drug holidays. This is the first report on the use of structured treatment interruptions in the management of risperidone-induced retrograde ejaculation. © 2019, © 2019 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group

Myoclonus as a single side effect of combination of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIS) and clomipramine: Three case reports

Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) are the most popular psychiatric medications that are approved for several neuropsychiatric conditions such as depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). On the other hand, clomipramine is a tricyclic anti-depressant which is the only approved medication, among this class, to treat OCD due to its substantial effects on serotonergic system. Combination of SSRIs and clomipramine is uncommon in routine psychiatric practice because it can increase the risk of serotonin syndrome which is characterized by myoclonus, headache, nausea, confusion, diarrhea, tremor, twitching muscles, and agitation. However, it could be useful in patients suffering from treatment-resistant OCD. Here, we describe three cases of OCD patients, treated by combination of SSRIs and clomipramine who showed only myoclonic movements in initial week without any other manifestations of the serotonin syndrome. In less than one week after initiation of medication, abnormal movements disappeared, and in six month follow-up evaluation, the patients were observed with considerable improvements. Indeed, myoclonic movements is not a predictor of full-blown serotonin syndrome when combination of SSRIs and clomipramine is used. Therefore, the combination could be a considerable approach in treatment of refractory OCD. © 2020, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences. All rights reserved

Celecoxib as an Adjuvant to Fluvoxamine in Moderate to Severe Obsessive-compulsive Disorder: A Double-blind, Placebo-controlled, Randomized Trial

Introduction: A growing body of evidence implicates inflammatory cascades in the pathophysiology of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), making this pathway a target for development of novel treatments. Methods: 50 outpatients with moderate to severe OCD participated in the trial, and underwent 10 weeks of treatment with either celecoxib (200 mg twice daily) or placebo as an adjuvant to fluvoxamine. Participants were investigated using Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS). The main outcome measure was to assess the efficacy of celecoxib in improving the OCD symptoms. Results: General linear model repeated measures demonstrated significant effect for time � treatment interaction on the Y-BOCS total scores F (1.38, 66.34)=6.91, p=0.005. Kaplan-Meier estimation with log-rank test demonstrated significantly more rapid response in the celecoxib group than the placebo group (p<0.001). There was no significant difference in adverse event frequencies between the groups. Discussion: The results of the current study suggest that celecoxib could be a tolerable and effective adjunctive treatment for more rapid and more satisfying improvements in OCD symptoms. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart, New York

Minocycline combination therapy with fluvoxamine in moderate-to-severe obsessive�compulsive disorder: A placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized trial

Aim: Several lines of evidence implicate glutamatergic dysfunction in the pathophysiology of obsessive�compulsive disorder (OCD), presenting this neurotransmitter as a target for the development of novel pharmacotherapy. The objective of this study was to assess the efficacy of minocycline as an augmentative agent to fluvoxamine in the treatment of patients with OCD. Methods: One hundred and two patients with the diagnosis of moderate-to-severe OCD were recruited to this study. A randomized double-blind trial was designed and patients received either L-carnosine or placebo as adjuvant to fluvoxamine for 10 weeks. The patients randomly received either minocycline 100 mg twice per day or placebo for 10 weeks. All patients received fluvoxamine (100 mg/day) for the first 4 weeks, followed by 200 mg/day for the rest of the trial, regardless of their treatment groups. Participants were evaluated using the Yale�Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS). The main outcome measure was to assess the efficacy of minocycline in improving the OCD symptoms. Results: General linear model repeated measures demonstrated significant effect for time � treatment interaction on the Y-BOCS total scores, F(1.49, 137.93) = 7.1, P = 0.003, and Y-BOCS Obsession subscale score, F(1.54, 141.94) = 9.72, P = 0.001, and near significant effect for the Y-BOCS Compulsion subscale score, F(1.27, 117.47) = 2.92, P = 0.08. A significantly greater rate of partial and complete response was observed in the minocycline group (P < 0.001). The frequency of side-effects was not significantly different between the treatment arms. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that minocycline could be a tolerable and effective adjuvant in the management of patients with OCD. © 2016 The Authors. Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences © 2016 Japanese Society of Psychiatry and Neurolog

Telepsychiatry During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Development of a Protocol for Telemental Health Care

Background The rapid spread of the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has forced most countries to take drastic public health measures, including the closure of most mental health outpatient services and some inpatient units. This has suddenly created the need to adapt and expand telepsychiatry care across the world. However, not all health care services might be ready to cope with this public health demand. The present study was set to create a practical and clinically useful protocol for telemental health care to be applied in the context of the current COVID-19 pandemic. Methods A panel of psychiatrists from 15 different countries [covering all World Health Organization (WHO) regions] was convened. The panel used a combination of reactive Delphi technique and consensus development conference strategies to develop a protocol for the provision of telemental health care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results The proposed protocol describes a semi-structured initial assessment and a series of potential interventions matching mild, moderate, or high-intensity needs of target populations. Conclusions Telemedicine has become a pivotal tool in the task of ensuring the continuous provision of mental health care for the population, and the outlined protocol can assist with this task. The strength of this protocol lies in its practicality, clinical usefulness, and wide transferability, resulting from the diversity of the consensus group that developed it. Developed by psychiatrists from around the globe, the proposed protocol may prove helpful for many clinical and cultural contexts, assisting mental health care providers worldwide