Antidepressants were superior to placebo in reducing new depressive episodes in bipolar disorders without increasing risk of new manic/hypomanic episodes either used as monotherapy or in combination with MS .
Subgroup analyses revealed that greater benefit and lower risk may be achieved in BD II than in BD I. However , compared with MS monotherapy , AD monotherapy significantly increased the risk of affective switch with no improvement in prophylaxis of new depressive episodes .
CONCLUSIONS Reduced new depressive episodes may be achieved by long-term AD treatment with no significantly increased risk of new manic/hypomanic episodes in BD , particularly in BD II .
The elevated risk of affective switch  of AD monotherapy compared with MS monotherapy may be contributed to the protective effect of MS in diminishing manic/hypomanic episodes .
OBJECTIVE Efficacy and safety of long-term use of antidepressants ( AD ) in bipolar disorder ( BD ) patients remains highly controversial .
Here we performed a meta- analysis of r and omized controlled trials ( RCTs ) exploring the efficacy and safety of long-term AD use in BD patients .
Efficacy and safety of fluoxetine in treating bipolar II major depressive episode.
As many as 45 % of patients with major depressive episode also meet DSM-IV criteria for bipolar II ( BP II ) disorder . Although some clinicians advocate using a mood stabilizer in treating BP II depression , antidepressant monotherapy has been less well studied in this disorder . As part of a prospect i ve , placebo-controlled , relapse-prevention study in 839 patients , the efficacy and safety of short- and long-term fluoxetine treatment in patients with BP II major depression compared with patients with unipolar ( UP ) major depression was retrospectively examined . Eighty-nine BP II patients ( mean age , 41+/-11 years ) were compared with 89 age- and gender-matched UP patients and with 661 unmatched UP patients ( mean age , 39+/-11 years ) . All received short-term fluoxetine therapy at 20 mg daily for up to 12 weeks . Complete remission was defined as a final Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression score < or = 7 by week 9 that was then maintained for 3 additional weeks . Remitted patients were then r and omly assigned to receive double-blind treatment with one of the following : ( 1 ) fluoxetine 20 mg daily for 52 weeks ; ( 2 ) fluoxetine for 38 weeks , then placebo for 14 weeks ; ( 3 ) fluoxetine for 14 weeks , then placebo for 38 weeks ; or ( 4 ) placebo for 52 weeks . Antidepressant efficacy was similar in BP and UP patients during short-term therapy . Discontinuation for lack of efficacy was lower in BP II ( 5 % ) than in UP ( 12 % ) patients ( p = not significant [ NS ] ) , whereas dropouts for adverse events were similar in BP II ( 11 % ) and UP ( 9 % ) patients . During long-term relapse-prevention therapy , relapse rates were similar in BP II and UP patients ( p = NS ) . During short-term fluoxetine therapy , three BP II ( 3.8 % ) versus no matched UP ( p = NS ) and 0.3 % unmatched UP ( p = 0.01 ) patients had a " manic switch . " During long-term fluoxetine therapy , one ( 2 % ) BP II and three ( 1 % ) unmatched UP patients ( one taking placebo ) had a manic switch ( p = NS ) . In conclusion , fluoxetine may be a safe and effective antidepressant monotherapy for the short-term treatment of BP II depression with a relatively low manic switch rate . Fluoxetine may also be effective in relapse-prevention therapy in patients with BP II disorder
Antidepressants were superior to placebo in reducing new depressive episodes in bipolar disorders without increasing risk of new manic/hypomanic episodes either used as monotherapy or in combination with MS .
Subgroup analyses revealed that greater benefit and lower risk may be achieved in BD II than in BD I. However , compared with MS monotherapy , AD monotherapy significantly increased the risk of affective switch with no improvement in prophylaxis of new depressive episodes .
CONCLUSIONS Reduced new depressive episodes may be achieved by long-term AD treatment with no significantly increased risk of new manic/hypomanic episodes in BD , particularly in BD II .
The elevated risk of affective switch  of AD monotherapy compared with MS monotherapy may be contributed to the protective effect of MS in diminishing manic/hypomanic episodes .
OBJECTIVE Efficacy and safety of long-term use of antidepressants ( AD ) in bipolar disorder ( BD ) patients remains highly controversial .
Here we performed a meta- analysis of r and omized controlled trials ( RCTs ) exploring the efficacy and safety of long-term AD use in BD patients .