Am J Psychiatry 1988; 145:1277-1279
Copyright © 1988 by American Psychiatric Association
Depression associated with nifedipine-induced calcium channel blockade
FJ Hullett, SG Potkin, AB Levy and R Ciasca
Department of Psychiatry, University of California, Irvine.
Four cases are reported in which substantial depression was associated with
the use of the calcium channel blocker nifedipine. In one instance, a
patient became unresponsive to treatment with nortriptyline when nifedipine
was introduced. In each case, the depression resolved following
discontinuation of nifedipine. Possible mechanisms by which nifedipine may
influence affective states are discussed.
