finding that would explain amenorrhea
was not detected by the obstetrician. The
patient’s prolactin level was determined
as 45.6 ng/mL (reference range, 5.18Y
26.53 ng/mL), and it was thought to be
related to the use of duloxetine. The dosage
was reduced to 30 mg/d, and the prolactin
level was measured after 1 week and found
as 23 ng/mL; 10 days later, menstruation
was detected. The patient’s treatment with
a dosage of 30 mg/d duloxetine continued
for 5 months; amenorrhea complaints did
not reiterate, and prolactin levels remained
normal. Recently reviewed Beck Depres-
sion Inventory score was found as 12, and
Beck Anxiety Inventory score was 8.
CASE 2
A 47-year-old woman presented with
demoralization, reluctance, fatigue, headache,
and complaints of excessive sleepiness.
There were complaints for many years.
She had used various antidepressant drugs
over the years, and for the last 5 years, she
has been using escitalopram 20 mg/d and
quetiapine 50 mg/d. Her history shows
no alcohol and drug use, continuous drug
use, or organic disorders. She was not sex-
ually active. She had a regular menstrual
period, and follow-up was being done by
gynecologists. Beck Depression Inventory
score was found as 38, and Beck Anxiety
Scale score was found to be 22. The pa-
tient was treated with a dosage of 30 mg/d
due to the diagnosis of major depressive
disorder according to the Diagnostic and
Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders,
Fourth Edition; the patient’s depressive
symptoms at the end of the first month
fell, but delayed menstruation was seen.
The physical examination result and labora-
tory values for thyroid stimulating hormone,
urea, creatinine, glucose, urea, creatinine,
aspartate transaminase, alanine transami-
nase, and electrolyte were normal. She did
not use oral contraceptives and was not
pregnant. The patient’s prolactin level was
determined as 57.6 ng/mL (reference range,
5.18Y26.53 ng/mL). The patient was re-
ferred by neurology and gynecology. The
result of cranial MRI was normal. The
pathologic finding that would explain amen-
orrhea was not detected by the obstetrician,
and the patient was started on dopamine re-
ceptor agonist cabergoline 0.5 mg/d twice a
week. The prolactin level was measured
1 month later and found as 26.8 ng/mL;
menstrual period was detected 15 days
later. With normalization of the patient,
prolactin cabergoline treatment was dis-
continued by the obstetrician. Duloxetine
therapy was stopped, and the treatment
with venlafaxine 37.5 mg was started; the
patient was then treated with venlafaxine
75 mg/d; amenorrhea complaints were not
reiterated, and prolactin levels remained
normal. The last Beck Depression Inven-
tory score was 14, and Beck Anxiety In-
ventory score was 9.
In our cases, we think that hyperpro-
lactinemia and amenorrhea are related to
duloxetine due to the emergence of hyper-
prolactinemia and amenorrhea after the
treatment with duloxetine, other drug use,
the patient did not use other drugs, cranial
MRI being normal, and the fact that the
woman in the first case by birth ruled out
organic causes of amenorrhea, and in the
second case after the treatment was stopped
and cabergoline treatment was applied, it was
seen that amenorrhea and hyperprolactinemia
were treated. More studies are needed in
this regard.
AUTHOR DISCLOSURE
INFORMATION
The authors declare no conflicts of
interest.
Birmay C ¸ am, MD
Department of Psychiatry
Manisa Mental Health
Manisa, Turkey
Birmaycam@mynet.com
Tunay Karlıdere, MD
Department of Psychiatry
Faculty of Medicine
Balikesir University
BalNkesir, Turkey
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A Case of Late-Onset
Angioedema Associated
With Clozapine and
Redevelopment of
Angioedema With
Olanzapine
To the Editors:
A
ngioedema is a rare but potentially life-
threatening adverse effect of antipsy-
chotics such as risperidone,
1Y4
olanzapine,
5
clozapine,
6
ziprasidone,
7,8
droperidol,
9,10
and chlorpromazine.
11,12
Nonsteroid anti-
inflammatory drugs, angiotensin-converting
enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs), penicillin, and
neuromuscular blockers are the most com-
mon medications held responsible for
angioedema.
13
Angioedema is the swell-
ing of deep dermal and subcutaneous
tissues that occurs on the face, tongue,
extremities, genitals, and rarely larynx.
7
The late-onset angioedema is a rare clin-
ical condition that occurs months or years,
after which is more likely reported with
ACEIs.
14Y16
Here we report a female pa-
tient who developed late-onset angioedema
after treatment with clozapine after 5 years
and redevelopment of angioedema with
Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology & Volume 34, Number 4, August 2014 Letters to the Editors
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