WARNINGS
Clinical Worsening And Suicide Risk
Patients with major depressive disorder (MDD), both adult
and pediatric, may experience worsening of their depression and/or the
emergence of suicidal ideation and behavior (suicidality) or unusual changes in
behavior, whether or not they are taking antidepressant medications, and this
risk may persist until significant remission occurs. Suicide is a known risk of
depression and certain other psychiatric disorders, and these disorders themselves
are the strongest predictors of suicide. There has been a long-standing
concern, however, that antidepressants may have a role in inducing worsening of
depression and the emergence of suicidality in certain patients during the
early phases of treatment. Pooled analyses of short-term placebo-controlled
trials of antidepressant drugs (SSRIs and others) showed that these drugs
increase the risk of suicidal thinking and behavior (suicidality) in children,
adolescents and young adults (aged 18 to 24) with major depressive disorder (MDD)
and other psychiatric disorders. Short-term studies did not show an increase in
the risk of suicidality with antidepressants compared to placebo in adults
beyond age 24; there was a reduction with antidepressants compared to placebo
in adults aged 65 and older.
The pooled analysis of placebo-controlled trials in
children and adolescents with MDD, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), or
other psychiatric disorders including a total of 24 short-term trials of 9
antidepressant drugs in over 4,400 patients. The pooled analyses of
placebo-controlled trials in adults with MDD or other psychiatric disorders
included a total of 295 short-term trials (median duration of 2 months) of 11
antidepressant drugs in over 77,000 patients. There was considerable variation
in risk of suicidality among drugs, but a tendency toward an increase in the
younger patients for almost all drugs studied. There were differences in
absolute risk of suicidality across the different indications, with the highest
incidence in MDD. The risk differences (drug vs placebo), however, were
relatively stable within age strata and across indications. These risk
differences (drugplacebo difference in the number of cases of suicidality per
1,000 patients treated) are provided in Table 1.
Table 1
Age Range |
Drug-Placebo Difference in Number of Cases of Suicidality per 1000 Patients Treated |
|
Drug-Related Increases |
< 18 |
14 additional cases |
18 to 24 |
5 additional cases |
|
Drug-Related Decreases |
25 to 64 |
1 fewer case |
≥ 65 |
6 fewer cases |
No suicides occurred in any of the pediatric trials.
There were suicides in the adult trials, but the number was not sufficient to
reach any conclusion about drug effect on suicide.
It is unknown whether the suicidality risk extends to
longer-term use, i.e., beyond several months. However, there is substantial
evidence from placebo-controlled maintenance trials in adults with depression
that the use of antidepressants can delay the recurrence of depression.
All patients being treated with antidepressants for
any indication should be monitored appropriately and observed closely for
clinical worsening, suicidality, and unusual changes in behavior, especially
during the initial few months of a course of drug therapy, or at times of dose
changes, either increases or decreases.
The following symptoms, anxiety, agitation, panic
attacks, insomnia, irritability, hostility, aggressiveness, impulsivity,
akathisia (psychomotor restlessness), hypomania, and mania, have been reported
in adult and pediatric patients being treated with antidepressants for major
depressive disorder as well as for other indications, both psychiatric and
nonpsychiatric. Although a causal link between the emergence of such symptoms
and either the worsening of depression and/or the emergence of suicidal impulses
has not been established, there is concern that such symptoms may represent
precursors to emerging suicidality.
Consideration should be given to changing the therapeutic
regimen, including possibly discontinuing the medication, in patients whose
depression is persistently worse, or who are experiencing emergent suicidality or
symptoms that might be precursors to worsening depression or suicidality,
especially if these symptoms are severe, abrupt in onset, or were not part of
the patient's presenting symptoms.
If the decision has been made to discontinue treatment,
medication should be tapered, as rapidly as is feasible, but with recognition
that abrupt discontinuation can be associated with certain symptoms (see ADVERSE
REACTIONS, Withdrawal Symptoms for a description of the risks of
discontinuation of protriptyline hydrochloride tablets).
Families and caregivers of patients being treated with
antidepressants for major depressive disorder or other indications, both
psychiatric and nonpsychiatric, should be alerted about the need to monitor
patients for the emergence of agitation, irritability, unusual changes in
behavior, and the other symptoms described above, as well as the emergence of
suicidality, and to report such symptoms immediately to health care providers.
Such monitoring should include daily observation by families and caregivers.
Prescriptions for protriptyline hydrochloride tablets should be written for the
smallest quantity of tablets consistent with good patient management, in order
to reduce the risk of overdose.
Screening Patients For Bipolar Disorder
A major depressive episode may be the initial
presentation of bipolar disorder. It is generally believed (though not
established in controlled trials) that treating such an episode with an
antidepressant alone may increase the likelihood of precipitation of a
mixed/manic episode in patients at risk for bipolar disorder. Whether any of
the symptoms described above represent such a conversion is unknown. However,
prior to initiating treatment with an antidepressant, patients with depressive
symptoms should be adequately screened to determine if they are at risk for
bipolar disorder; such screening should include a detailed psychiatric history,
including a family history of suicide, bipolar disorder, and depression. It
should be noted that protriptyline hydrochloride is not approved for use in
treating bipolar depression.
Protriptyline may block the antihypertensive effect of
guanethidine or similarly acting compounds.
Protriptyline should be used with caution in patients
with a history of seizures, and, because of its autonomic activity, in patients
with a tendency to urinary retention, or increased intraocular tension.
Tachycardia and postural hypotension may occur more
frequently with protriptyline than with other antidepressant drugs.
Protriptyline should be used with caution in elderly patients and patients with
cardiovascular disorders; such patients should be observed closely because of
the tendency of the drug to produce tachycardia, hypotension, arrhythmias, and
prolongation of the conduction time. Myocardial infarction and stroke have
occurred with drugs of this class.
On rare occasions, hyperthyroid patients or those
receiving thyroid medication may develop arrhythmias when this drug is given.
In patients who may use alcohol excessively, it should be
borne in mind that the potentiation may increase the danger inherent in any
suicide attempt or overdosage.
Angle-Closure Glaucoma
The pupillary dilation that occurs following use of many
antidepressant drugs including protriptyline may trigger an angle closure
attack in a patient with anatomically narrow angles who does not have a patent
iridectomy.
Usage In Pregnancy
Safe use in pregnancy and lactation has not been
established; therefore, use in pregnant women, nursing mothers or women who may
become pregnant requires that possible benefits be weighed against possible
hazards to mother and child.
In mice, rats, and rabbits, doses about ten times greater
than the recommended human doses had no apparent adverse effects on
reproduction.