Abstract
Concerns have been expressed regarding the use of general anesthesia for electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in patients taking monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs). We review the published literature and present 4 new cases and conclude that there is no evidence of a dangerous interaction between ECT and MAOI use. In general, a cautious approach would be to discontinue MAOIs before ECT if the medication has not been helpful; however, there is no need for a washout interval before starting ECT. Furthermore, if there is otherwise a reason for continuing the MAOI, it can be continued during index ECT or initiated during maintenance ECT.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 258-261 |
Number of pages | 4 |
Journal | Journal of ECT |
Volume | 20 |
Issue number | 4 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 2004 |
Keywords
- Anesthesia
- Electroconvulsive therapy
- Monoamine oxidase inhibitor
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Neuroscience (miscellaneous)
- Psychiatry and Mental health