Case Report DOI: 10.5455/bcp.20140304091103

Sertraline and -Induced Nocturnal Enuresis

Inci Meltem Atay1, Gulin Ozdamar Unal2

ABSTRACT:­ Sertraline and venlafaxine-induced nocturnal enuresis

Nocturnal enuresis is defined as the involuntary discharge of urine after the age of expected continence that occurs during sleep at night. Although there are a few reports in adults for nocturnal enuresis associated 1Assist. Prof., 2M.D., Suleyman Demirel University, School of Medicine, Department with inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), the of Psychiatry, Isparta - Turkey mechanism or frequency of this have not been identified yet. We report here a case of nocturnal Corresponding author: Dr. İnci Meltem Atay enuresis associated with both sertraline and venlafaxine in different major depressive episodes in an adult Süleyman Demirel Universitesi, Tıp Fakültesi, Psikiyatri Anabilim Dalı, Isparta - Türkiye patient that resolves after the discontinuation of the medications and continuation with . To our E-mail­ address:­ knowledge, in literature there have been no reports about nocturnal enuresis caused by those two agents in [email protected] the same patient. This case is discussed in detail for the recurrence of nocturnal enuresis, the importance of Date of submission: detailed assessment of even rare and for their possible mechanisms. February 11, 2014 Date of acceptance: March 04, 2014 Keywords: nocturnal enuresis, venlafaxine, sertraline, depression

Declaration of interest: I.M.A, G.O.U.: The authors reported no Klinik Psikofarmakoloji Bulteni - Bulletin of Clinical Psychopharmacology 2015;25(3):287-90 conflict of interest related to this article.

INTRODUCTION side effect1-6. In this report, a case is described with Nocturnal enuresis due to selective serotonin nocturnal enuresis that developed with both reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) is a rare but disturbing sertraline and venlafaxine in lower doses during side effect that may result in discontinuation of different episodes and resolved after the treatment. Although several studies suggest discontinuation of the medication. To our that serotonin (5HT) and norepinephrine (NE) knowledge, this is the first such case that was reuptake might be the reason for the dysfunction reported in the literature. of the lower urinary tract, the mechanism still remains unclear1,2. In the literature, there are only CASE a few case reports about enuresis with SSRIs in adults that are found to be associated with The patient is a 21-year-old male who presented , sertraline, and citalopram1,3,4. to our outpatient clinic with the diagnosis of Venlafaxine, which is a serotonin norepinephrine major depressive disorder. This was not the first (SNRI), is also reported for episode, as he described another episode nocturnal enuresis in 4 publications1,2,5,6. The developed about two years earlier, and sertraline majority of the cases are reported as dose- 50 mg/day had been initiated. However, after a dependent and defined for only one SSRI or SNRI month he discontinued his medication himself

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due to the occurrence of nocturnal enuresis, and blockade and dopamine reuptake inhibition he never experienced enuresis again. Although his properties in the central nervous system that can depressive symptoms continued for about 6 lead to urinary incontinence by decreasing months, he did not use any medication during internal bladder sphincter tone10. that episode. Two years later, in the current Venlafaxine was the other medication that episode, he was firstly prescribed venlafaxine 37.5 caused nocturnal enuresis in our patient. mg/day for four days, then increased to 75 mg/ Venlafaxine is an SNRI that inhibits the uptake of day, but nocturnal enuresis occurred again within serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine. a month with a frequency of 4 nights a week, so Previous animal studies showed that venlafaxine that he could not continue the medication. He might alter the contraction of detrusor muscle and was not taking any drugs during the visit to our bladder capacity11. Inghilleri et al. reported in 9 clinic, and after he discontinued venlafaxine, patients that venlafaxine might be efficacious in enuresis completely stopped within a week. We patients with urinary retention resulting from decided to start escitalopram 5 mg/day and spinal cord lesions by reducing the post-voiding increased to 10 mg/day after four days for his residual volume and increasing the urination rate. depression. The patient was also referred to In the same study, they suggested that venlafaxine urology and neurology clinics, but all his was effective at spinal level and modulated examinations, including urinalysis, bladder detrusor muscle contraction through the ultrasonography, electroencephalography (EEG), segmental loop12. In another study, Polimeni et al. were normal. After a month, his depression had reported a case characterized by the occurrence of subsided and he had no complaints about urinary incontinence with venlafaxine but not nocturnal enuresis. with sertraline and suggested a possible relation with noradrenergic mechanism6. However, our DISCUSSION case is in contrast to this finding, considering other mechanisms. We report a case of nocturnal enuresis associated Our patient had nocturnal enuresis with both with both sertraline and venlafaxine for the same sertraline and venlafaxine but not with patient in lower doses. Enuresis resolved after the escitalopram. Although it is difficult to describe cessation of medication and did not occur with the etiology with only one case, this situation leads escitalopram. The mechanism of nocturnal us to consider the similarities and differences in enuresis due to still remains the patterns of these drugs. Firstly, in previous unclear and complicated. Reports are cases, -induced enuresis was contradictory about whether this side effect is due explained by decreased dopamine transmission in to the central nervous system or receptors on the the or an imbalance between bladder muscles. Human bladder muscles have dopamine and norepinephrine within the basal three different serotonin (5-HT) receptor sites, ganglia13 and venlafaxine and sertraline both have 5HT-4, 5HT-7 and 5HT1A. 5HT-4 and 5HT-7 are some effects in the central nervous excitatory receptors for acetylcholine which is system. Venlafaxine weakly inhibits the reuptake suggested to be related with dose-dependent of dopamine, and recent evidence shows that the effects of sertraline in nocturnal enuresis7,8. 5HT-4 norepinephrine transporter transports some like cisapride are known to increase the dopamine as well, and dopamine is inactivated by urination frequency, and SSRIs may have a similar norepinephrine reuptake in the frontal cortex. effect. It has also been shown that spinal 5HT1A Therefore, venlafaxine is suggested to increase receptor activation would increase bladder dopamine neurotransmission in this part of the contraction at spinal level9. On the other hand, brain14,15. Sertraline also has some ability to block sertraline is known to have some α-adrenergic the dopamine reuptake pump (dopamine

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transporter), which may increase dopamine mechanism of enuresis, escitalopram has no effect neurotransmission16. In a recent study, Kiatichi et on dopamine uptake and also has no or very low al. have reported the increase of dopamine in the affinity for (5-HT1-7) receptors found nucleus accumbens and of rats caused by on bladder muscles, which might be another sertraline17. Secondly, sertraline and venlafaxine reason for the non-occurrence of nocturnal may both increase the urination frequency, which enuresis16. may be another reason for nocturnal enuresis12,8. The main limitation of this is that Escitalopram has some properties that differ the results cannot be generalized due to the from venlafaxine and sertraline for their receptor presentation of a single case. In this case, we affinity. Escitalopram is extremely selective for highlight that nocturnal enuresis may be a serotonergic transport proteins when compared serious side effect resulting in the with other antidepressants such as , discontinuation of the medication, which may be paroxetine, , and sertraline. Besides, more frequent than we expect: hence, clinicians escitalopram has little or no binding affinity for should be aware of all side effects. Nocturnal many receptor or binding sites tested , enuresis may be a recurrent symptom both for including α-adrenergic (α1) receptors, muscarinic SSRIs and SNRIs. Therefore, further research is (M1) receptors, and histamine (H1) receptors18. In needed to elucidate the frequency, recurrence, contrast to the dopaminergic effects of sertraline and etiology of nocturnal enuresis to define a and venlafaxine, which might be the underlying treatment process.

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17. Kitaichi Y, Inoue T, Nakagawa S, Boku S, Kakuta A, Izumi 18. Racagni G, Popoli M. The pharmacological properties of T, et al. Sertraline increases extracellular levels not only of antidepressants. Int Clin Psychopharmacol 2010;25(3):117- serotonin, but also of dopamine in the nucleus accumbens 31. [CrossRef] and striatum of rats. Eur J Pharmacol 2010;647(1-3):90-6. [CrossRef]

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