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Memory Loss in a Patient Treated with Fluoxetine

2003; SAGE Publishing; Volume: 37; Issue: 12 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1345/aph.1d154

1542-6270

Jacqueline D Joss, Robert Burton, Cecilia A Keller,

Schizophrenia research and treatment

To report a case of severe memory loss in an elderly patient after initiation of fluoxetine.An 87-year-old white woman was started on fluoxetine for depression, and the dose was titrated to 20 mg/d. She developed progressive memory loss over the next 6 weeks for which she ultimately was hospitalized. Other potential causes for her memory loss were ruled out. After fluoxetine was discontinued, the patient's memory improved significantly over the next 2 months. An objective causality assessment indicated a possible relationship between the memory loss and fluoxetine in this patient.Our report documents a case of severe reversible memory deterioration after initiating fluoxetine. Fluoxetine has a favorable adverse effect profile when compared with older classes of antidepressants. Postmarketing studies and isolated case reports, however, suggest that fluoxetine may harm memory in some patients. Some selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) appear to cause memory loss more frequently than others.Clinicians should be aware of the possible effects of fluoxetine (and possibly other SSRIs) on memory.