From Urinary Retention to Increased Urinary Frequency: A Case Report on Mirtazapine's Unusual Side Effect
Rachit Sharma, Rishabh Singh
Keywords :
Adverse drug reaction, Case report, Micturition frequency, Mirtazapine
Citation Information :
Sharma R, Singh R. From Urinary Retention to Increased Urinary Frequency: A Case Report on Mirtazapine's Unusual Side Effect. Ind J Priv Psychiatry 2024; 18 (1):35-36.
Mirtazapine is a noradrenergic and specific serotonergic antidepressant (NaSSA). It is used off-label for the treatment of insomnia, panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD), headaches, and migraines. The common side effects include sedation, increased appetite, weight gain, and dry mouth. Changes in urinary function are an uncommon side effect, predominantly as urinary retention and very rarely as an increase in urinary frequency. Here is a case of depressive episode in a middle-aged female, where mirtazapine precipitated a rapid and troublesome increase in micturition frequency.
Stahl SM. Stahl's essential psychopharmacology: Neuroscientific basis and practical applications, 5th edition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press; 2021. p. 642.
Nutt DJ. Tolerability and safety aspects of mirtazapine. Hum Psychopharmacol 2002;17Suppl 1:S37–S41. DOI: 10.1002/hup.388.
Stahl SM. Prescriber's guide: Stahl's essential psychopharmacology, 7th edition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press; 2020. p. 932.
Stimmel GL, Dopheide JA, Stahl SM. Mirtazapine: An antidepressant with noradrenergic and specific serotonergic effects. Pharmacotherapy 1997;17(1):10–21. PMID: 9017762.
Sadock BJ, Sadock VA, Ruiz P. Comprehensive textbook of psychiatry. 10th edition. Philadelphia: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins; 2017. pp. 7946–7947.
Hartmann PM. Mirtazapine: A newer antidepressant. Am Fam Physician 1999;59(1):159–161. PMID: 9917581.
Kunwar A, Virk S, Masand PS. Urinary incontinence with mirtazapine. The J Clin Psychiatry 2002;63(5):21971. DOI: 10.4088/jcp.v63n0513e.
Raje MG. Urinary retention by mirtazapine: A case report. Case Rep Int 2017;6:35–38. DOI: 10.5348/crint-2017-39-CR-8.
Montgomery SA. Safety of mirtazapine: A review. International clinical psychopharmacology. 1995;10(Suppl 4):37–45. DOI: 10.1097/00004850-199512004-00006.
Tsakiris P, Oelke M, Michel MC. Drug-induced urinary incontinence. Drugs Aging 2008;25(7):541–549. DOI: 10.2165/00002512-200825070-00001.
Garcia-Cortes M, Lucena MI, Pachkoria K, et al. Evaluation of Naranjo adverse drug reactions probability scale in causality assessment of drug-induced liver injury. Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2008;27(9): 780–789. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2036.2008.03655.x.