1. Hypoglycaemia: a little known effect of Venlafaxine overdose.
- Author
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Francino MC, Bretaudeau Deguigne M, Badin J, Turcant A, and Perrotin D
- Subjects
- Adult, Alprazolam therapeutic use, Anti-Anxiety Agents therapeutic use, Cyclohexanols pharmacokinetics, Depression drug therapy, Drug Overdose, Drug Therapy, Combination, Female, Gastrointestinal Agents therapeutic use, Half-Life, Humans, Octreotide therapeutic use, Serotonin Syndrome diagnosis, Serotonin Syndrome therapy, Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors pharmacokinetics, Treatment Outcome, Venlafaxine Hydrochloride, Analgesics adverse effects, Cyclohexanols adverse effects, Hypoglycemia chemically induced, Serotonin Syndrome chemically induced, Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors adverse effects
- Abstract
We report the case of a 39-year-old woman who presented with serotonin syndrome and hypoglycaemia likely due to intoxication with a very high dose of venlafaxine. This case of venlafaxine-associated hypoglycaemia was treated first by glucose perfusion, but despite large doses, hypoglycaemia recurred. Blood glucose normalized after injection of octreotide, eliminating the need for hypertonic glucose. Octreotide has been shown to decrease glucose requirements and the number of hypoglycaemic episodes in patients with sulfonylurea-induced hypoglycaemia but, to our knowledge, its ability to resolve hypoglycaemic episodes due to massive venlafaxine overdose has not yet been described.
- Published
- 2012
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