By doing that, you can add on Zyprexa with an SSRI at 10 mgs at bedtime and sometimes get an augmentation to your antidepressant effect. Risperdal, at doses as small as 1 mg at bedtime, can augment an antidepressant because Risperdal is indirectly affecting the serotonin transmission by blocking serotonin two-way receptors. So, yes, the atypical antidepressant medications can certainly be used for augmentation with the antidepressants. Even if a person does not have psychotic depression and even if a person does not have bipolar depression. Please comment on the role of antidepressants in schizoaffective disorder, depression in schizophrenic patients, depression in borderline personality disorder and depression in bipolar disorder.
Depression is schizoaffective disorder, the antidepressants certainly do play a role.
I'm hopeful that as we use the atypical antipsychotic medications for the treatment of schizoaffective disorder, we're going to find that antidepressants are less necessary. In my experience, specifically with Zyprexa, I'm finding that Zyprexa can be helpful for the patient with schizoaffective disorder by itself. So as these newer atypical antipsychotics come out, I'm more hopeful that the antidepressants will be less necessary to use with them. Antidepressants help to some degree, but the key with your patients with schizophrenia is to be very careful what antipsychotic medication you're using. They cause depression.