Psychiatry and Clinical Psychopharmacology

A side effect of şuoxetine, ecchymoses: case report

Psychiatry and Clinical Psychopharmacology 2014; 24: Supplement S197-S197
Read: 524 Published: 17 February 2021

Prescription of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) famous with safer side effects is common in treatment of psychiatric disorders. Among antidepressants, cases with abnormal bleeding following especially SSRIs use have been reported. In the literature, abnormal bleeding and hematologic side effects like ecchymoses due to SSRIs such as şuoxetine, şuvoxamine, sertraline, paroxetine have been stated as well. A 33-year-old graduated female patient applied to the psychiatry clinic with complaints of fatigue, irritation, feelings of uselessness, lack of pleasure in doing anything and being a night owl. According to the findings via psychiatric examination and psychometric assessment, she was diagnosed as having major depressive disorder due to DSM IV criteria and prescribed 20 mg/day şuoxetine. By the fourth week of the treatment, she responded to the treatment. At the twelfth week, she reported discoloration in different places on her body, especially localized below extremities. She also added that she had not had any injury. Dermatological consultation revealed that this discoloration was due to ecchymotic lesions. Hematologic consultation concluded normal findings. Blood tests including complete blood cell count, prothrombin time, partial thromboplastin time, bleeding time and other hematologic screening tests were run as well. The blood tests were found to be normal. Also hematologist reported that the discolorations were not found to be in relation to any hematologic problem. Because of the ecchymoses, şuoxetine use was stopped. Instead, escitalopram 10 mg/day was prescribed to the patient. After one month, she reported that new ecchymoses had not occurred; the old ones and depressive symptoms had started to heal. When the patient’s complaints, her history, examination and laboratory findings were assessed all together, it was concluded that ecchymoses could be due to şuoxetine use. The current paper aims to focus a case demonstrating occurrence of ecchymoses due to şuoxetine use. Although it has not still known clearly about the relationship between şuoxetine and ecchymoses seen at twelfth week of the treatment without proof of any hematologic problem, it was thought that the şuoxetine use could lead hematologic side effects. It was reported that the side effects due to şuoxetine use could be manifested in form of bleeding ecchymoses. The relationship between şuoxetine use and bleeding and ecchymoses could be understood by focusing the role of serotonin platelet functions When literature findings and information gathered from the patient were examined all together, It was thought that the ecchymoses are associated with şuoxetine use. In this case, ecchymoses disappeared following cessation of drug.

EISSN 2475-0581