Publication:

A prospective study on sleep disorders related to antidepressant drugs use in a tertiary care teaching hospital

Background Prescription of antidepressants has been increased from the last decade and responsible for producing sleep disorders as adverse drug reactions (ADRs). Sleep disorders can be divided into 3 large groups: (1) insomnia, (2) primary complaint of daytime sleepiness, and (3) Association of disruptive behaviours during sleep, the disorders of arousal. So active surveillance is needed to access these ADRs.Aims and

Objective To analyze the sleep disturbances as ADRs of various antidepressants prescribed to the patients attending psychiatry outpatient department (OPD).

Methods This prospective study was conducted on patients aged ≤74 years attending Department of Psychiatry OPD and were prescribed Antidepressants for the duration of 8 months (December, 2013-July, 2014). The ADRs reported were confirmed by WHO UMC Causality Assessment Scale.

Results Total number of patients enrolled on the basis of inclusion and exclusion criteria (n=50). Total number of ADRs related to drugs prescribed were found to be n=69. Total number of patients with sleep disturbances as ADRs were found to be n=28.

Conclusion The drug, most frequently implicated to cause sleep disturbances, was mirtazapine. Increased sleep was the most common ADR, found to occur. Unusual ADRs such as sleep talking was also seen.