Pediatric Pharmacotherapy A Monthly Newsletter for Health Care Professionals Children’s Medical Center at the University of Virginia Volume 2 Number10 October 1996 The Use of Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors in Children and Adolescents In 1988, fluoxetine (Prozac ) was approved by Pharmacokinetic differences are reflected in the FDA for use in the United States. 1 With its bioavailability, protein binding, and elimination introduction came a new era in the treatment of of parent compound and active metabolites. depression and obsessive -compulsive disorders. Bio availability ranges from 44% with sertraline Compared to the non -specific receptor binding of to 80 -95 % with fluoxetine and fluvoxamine. the heterocyclic (tricyclic and tertiary) With the exception of fluvoxamine, these agents antidepressants previously available, fluoxetine are highly protein bound. All SSRIs undergo offered fewer major adve rse effects and relative hepatic metabolism. Fluoxetine and sertraline safety after overdose. have active metabolites with long elimination half -lives, resulting in prolonged effects even Fluoxetine and its successors (Table 1) differ after the discontinuation of therapy. Genetic from the heterocyclic antidepressants in that they polymorphism resulting in the presence or inhibit serotonin reuptake, with little or no effect absence of hepatic enzyme CYP2D6 greatly on other receptor sites. 1,2 As a result of this influences the rate of elimination of both specificity, these agents are referred to as fluoxetine and paroxetine. 1 selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Their clinical efficacy is believed to be the result Use in Children and Adolescents of an initial increase in serotonin concentrations In children and adolescents, SSRIs have been (inhibition of reuptake) in the synaptic cleft used in the treatment of depression, obsessive - followed by dese nsitization of serotonin compulsive disorders (OCD), anxiety and panic autoreceptors and increasing serotonin release. disorders, eating disorders, attention The latter effect is likely the most significant in deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), treating symptoms of depression. Similar to the Tourette’s syndrome, trichotillomania, mental heterocyclic antidepressants, the full effect of retardation, Prader -Willi syndrome, Lesch - SSRI therapy does not occur until two to three Nyhan syndrome, enuresis, and autism. 3-4 As weeks after the initiation of treatment. 1,2 might be expected from the relative infrequency of some of these conditions, there are few Table 1. SSRIs Currently Available a controlled clinical tria ls with SSRIs in children. Fluoxetine HCl (Prozac ) b Most published reports describe small open -label Fluvoxamine maleate (Luvox ) trials and case series. Paroxetine HCl (Paxil ) Sertraline HCl (Zoloft ) Four trials involving SSRIs in children with a all products are on formulary at UVA depression have been conducted, including one b availabl e in an oral liquid controlled study, two unblinded trials, and one retrospective review. 3 Simeon and colleagues 5 Differences among the SSRIs consist primarily of conducted a placebo -controlled, double -blinded relative receptor site specificity and study in 32 children between the ages of 13 and pharmacokinetic characteristics. For example, 18 years. Half were given fluoxetine and the paroxetine has the greatest affinity for serotonin others received a placebo. Fluoxetine was receptors, but also shows mild binding at initiated at a dosage of 20 mg per day a nd muscarinic receptors, resulting in its greater increased to 60 mg per day during the second likelihood to cause anticholinergic adverse week of treatment. effects such as dry mouth. At the end of a two -month treatment period, symptoms had improved in the treated patients in all areas of the rating scales except sleep disturbance. These differences, however, were Adverse Effects not statistically significant. Adverse effects Compared with older het erocyclic included headache, vomiting, insomnia, weight antidepressants, SSRIs cause less sedation, loss, and tremor, but were considered mild and weight gain, anticholinergic and cardiovascular transient. The authors concluded that adverse effects. Although the SSRIs are approximately 2/3 of their sample population associated with a long list of adverse effects, in responded well to fluoxetine, but ca utioned that most patients they are mild and transient, rarely most children still required significant assistance requiring discontinuation of therapy. with psychosocial functioning. In adults, the most frequent adverse effects Fluoxetine has also been studied in children with reported include: GI upset (nausea, vomiting, and OCD, using dosages of 10 to 80 mg per day. diarrhea) reported in 10 -30% of patients, CNS Two trials, one open label and one placebo - effects (insomnia, headache, and nervousness) controlled, have been published, as well as reported in approximately 15% of patient s, several case reports and a retrospective review. 3,6 sexual dysfunction, diaphoresis, rash, and tremor In 1992, Riddle 7 and colleagues from the Yale (each occurring in up to 10% of patients). 1,2 Child Study Center conducted a placebo - Similar results have been reported in pediatric controlled, double -blinded, cross -over study of studies. 3,5 -7 These effects are typically dose - fluoxetine in a group of 14 adolescents between related, and most patients respond to a lower 8 and 15 years of age. Patients were randomized dose without loss of clinical benefit. to either placebo or a standard dosage of fluoxetine (20 mg per day) for a period of 8 Differences in adverse effects among SSRIs may weeks then were changed to the other treatment be the result of receptor specificity. Sertraline for a period of 12 weeks. and fluoxetine are more frequently associated with diarrhea due to their greater specificity for During fluoxetine treatment, the patients showed serotonin receptors, while parox etine has a lower a significant improvement over their baseline incidence because of its antimuscarinic effects. scores on rating scales of obsessive ideation and The highly selective agents are also more compulsive activities. Switching to placebo frequently associated with insomnia and administration resulted in a return to near agitation, while less selective agents may be baseline values. Adverse effects included more likely to cause somnolence. 1 insomnia, fatigue, na usea, and worsening of tic severity. One patient experienced suicidal Numerous other adverse reactions have been ideation while receiving fluoxetine. While serum reported in isolated cases. The development of fluoxetine concentrations did not correlate with extrapyramidal symptoms has been reported in degree of disease response, adverse effects were patients receiving fluoxetine and paroxetine. 1,8 associated with higher concentrations. The These symptoms, including dystonic reactions, authors concluded that fluoxetine is generally a akathisia, and motor tics, are likely to be the safe and effective therapeutic alternative for the result of an indirect effect on dopaminergic treatment of children and adolescents with OCD. receptors and typically resolve upon discontinuation of therapy. Although the majority of studies and case series have utilized fluoxetine in the pediatric In addition, suicidal ideation has been reported in populati on, there are open trials and case reports both children and adults receiving SSRIs, demonstrating the efficacy of fluvoxamine (100 - although this is difficult to assess apart from the 300 mg/day) and sertraline (75 mg/day). In underlying illness. In a retrospective review of addition, some reports describe the use of 42 children between the ages of 10 and 17 years combination therapy with an SSRI and treated with fluoxetine, King et al 9 found six clomipramine or buspirone in children with children with self -injurious ideation and OCD, and with methylphenidate in children with behavior. Four of the children had a positive ADHD. In the few comparison trials that have history of this problem, but worsened on therapy. been conducted with heterocyclic All patients responded to discontinuation of antidepressants, SSRIs appear to be as fluoxetine and management with other efficacious as the older “standard” therapies. 3 medications. benzodiazep. Death associated with overdose appears to be beta blockers rare. Feierabend 10 described the case of a 4 year clozapine old child who ingested approximately 35 (20 mg) diltiazem fluoxetine capsules. The patient exhibited signs methadone of agitation followed by a period of terfenadine unresponsiveness. A serum fluoxetine theophylline concentration taken on admission was 3,080 a change in serum concentration of object drug ng/ml (usual values in adults receiving treatment are 40 -500 ng/ml). The patient’s symptoms In summary, SSRIs offer the advantages of fewer resolved without treatment. As in this case, significant adverse effects and safety in overdose most patients recover without sequelae. Other compared to older antidepressants. Their role in signs of toxicity include: agitation, drowsiness, the treatment of psychiatric conditions in vomiting, diarrhea, coma, hypotension, children and adolescents is just beginning to be arrhythmias, and seizures. There is no antidote explored. Selection of a specific agent should for SSRI overdose; therapy consists of incorporate differences in receptor specificity, 1,2 supportive measures. pharmacokinetic characteristics, and adverse effect profiles,