From the Guidelines
Additional medications given to sertraline in the treatment of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) include bupropion, venlafaxine, and buspirone.
Augmentation Strategies
- Bupropion is often used as an augmentation strategy, as it has been shown to decrease depression severity more than augmentation with buspirone 1.
- Venlafaxine is also used as an augmentation strategy, with some studies showing greater response rates compared to other second-generation antidepressants 1.
- Buspirone may be used as an augmentation strategy, although it may have a higher risk of discontinuation due to adverse events compared to bupropion 1.
Switching Strategies
- Switching to another SGA, such as bupropion or venlafaxine, may be considered if initial treatment with sertraline is ineffective, although the evidence suggests that there is no significant difference in response or remission rates between switching to different SGAs 1.
Important Considerations
- The choice of additional medication should be based on the individual patient's symptoms, medical history, and treatment preferences.
- The evidence for the effectiveness of these augmentation and switching strategies is generally low to moderate quality, and more research is needed to fully understand their benefits and harms 1.
From the Research
Additional Medications Given to Sertraline in the Treatment of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)
- The provided studies do not directly mention additional medications given to sertraline in the treatment of MDD, but they do discuss the use of sertraline in combination with or compared to other medications.
- One study 2 investigates the use of l-theanine as an adjunct to sertraline in the treatment of MDD, suggesting that this combination may be effective and well-tolerated.
- Other studies 3, 4, 5, 6 compare sertraline to other antidepressants, such as fluoxetine, paroxetine, and escitalopram, but do not provide information on additional medications given to sertraline.
Comparison of Sertraline to Other Antidepressants
- Sertraline is compared to other SSRIs, such as fluoxetine and paroxetine, in several studies 3, 4, 5, with results suggesting that sertraline is effective and well-tolerated in the treatment of MDD.
- One study 6 reviews the use of escitalopram in the treatment of MDD, noting that it is at least as effective as other SSRIs, including sertraline.
Adjunctive Therapies
- The use of l-theanine as an adjunct to sertraline is investigated in one study 2, with results suggesting that this combination may be effective in treating MDD.
- There is no mention of other adjunctive therapies in the provided studies.