A review of the literature showed that a high incidence or prevalence of
depression in patients being treated with alpha-methyldopa has never been
documented. In their study of hypertensive patients in a general medical
clinic the authors found that symptoms of depression were no more common in
42 patients treated with alpha-methyldopa than in 38 patients treated with
other antihypertensive agents. As with other centrally active agents,
alpha-methyldopa appears able to produce many different behavioral
symptoms, including mood changes, in predisposed individuals. Because
alpha-methyldopa is a DOPA decarboxylase inhibitor but does not
consistently affect mood or induce depression, its effects do not support a
catecholamine hypothesis of depression.Abstract Teaser