Vortioxetine as an alternative treatment for somatic symptom disorder: case report

Somatic symptom disorder (SSD) is characterized by persistent physical symptoms that cause significant distress and functional impairment. Despite the widespread use of serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRIs) in treating SSD, some patients experience insufficient response, necessitating alternative the...

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Main Authors: Naoki Furutani, Yasuhide Nagoshi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2024-11-01
Series:Frontiers in Psychiatry
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Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1496072/full
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author Naoki Furutani
Naoki Furutani
Yasuhide Nagoshi
author_facet Naoki Furutani
Naoki Furutani
Yasuhide Nagoshi
author_sort Naoki Furutani
collection DOAJ
description Somatic symptom disorder (SSD) is characterized by persistent physical symptoms that cause significant distress and functional impairment. Despite the widespread use of serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRIs) in treating SSD, some patients experience insufficient response, necessitating alternative therapeutic approaches. We report two cases of SSD that demonstrated significant improvement with vortioxetine, a novel antidepressant with multimodal serotonergic receptor activity. In Case 1, an 88-year-old female with throat discomfort and cough experienced an insufficient response to an SRI. After switching to vortioxetine, she achieved significant symptom relief within 10 days, with no relapse observed over the following four months. In Case 2, a 29-year-old female presenting with widespread somatic pain and palpitations, unresponsive to analgesics, achieved symptom resolution within two weeks with the initial use of vortioxetine. The therapeutic effects of vortioxetine were rapid and well-tolerated. These cases highlight the potential of vortioxetine for treating SSD, particularly in cases of insufficient response to SRIs, and suggest a possible overlap between SSD and obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders through its action on serotonergic pathways.
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spelling doaj-art-6dffc43836aa441aa00c3c36cbcaf6722025-08-20T02:12:41ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychiatry1664-06402024-11-011510.3389/fpsyt.2024.14960721496072Vortioxetine as an alternative treatment for somatic symptom disorder: case reportNaoki Furutani0Naoki Furutani1Yasuhide Nagoshi2Department of Psychiatry and Neurobiology, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, JapanDepartment of Psychiatry, Noto General Hospital, Nanao, JapanDepartment of Psychiatry (Psychosomatic Medicine), Japanese Red Cross Kyoto Daiichi Hospital, Kyoto, JapanSomatic symptom disorder (SSD) is characterized by persistent physical symptoms that cause significant distress and functional impairment. Despite the widespread use of serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRIs) in treating SSD, some patients experience insufficient response, necessitating alternative therapeutic approaches. We report two cases of SSD that demonstrated significant improvement with vortioxetine, a novel antidepressant with multimodal serotonergic receptor activity. In Case 1, an 88-year-old female with throat discomfort and cough experienced an insufficient response to an SRI. After switching to vortioxetine, she achieved significant symptom relief within 10 days, with no relapse observed over the following four months. In Case 2, a 29-year-old female presenting with widespread somatic pain and palpitations, unresponsive to analgesics, achieved symptom resolution within two weeks with the initial use of vortioxetine. The therapeutic effects of vortioxetine were rapid and well-tolerated. These cases highlight the potential of vortioxetine for treating SSD, particularly in cases of insufficient response to SRIs, and suggest a possible overlap between SSD and obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders through its action on serotonergic pathways.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1496072/fullsomatic symptom disorder (SSD)anxiety disordersobsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders (OCSD)painvortioxetine (VOR)serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SRI)
spellingShingle Naoki Furutani
Naoki Furutani
Yasuhide Nagoshi
Vortioxetine as an alternative treatment for somatic symptom disorder: case report
Frontiers in Psychiatry
somatic symptom disorder (SSD)
anxiety disorders
obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders (OCSD)
pain
vortioxetine (VOR)
serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SRI)
title Vortioxetine as an alternative treatment for somatic symptom disorder: case report
title_full Vortioxetine as an alternative treatment for somatic symptom disorder: case report
title_fullStr Vortioxetine as an alternative treatment for somatic symptom disorder: case report
title_full_unstemmed Vortioxetine as an alternative treatment for somatic symptom disorder: case report
title_short Vortioxetine as an alternative treatment for somatic symptom disorder: case report
title_sort vortioxetine as an alternative treatment for somatic symptom disorder case report
topic somatic symptom disorder (SSD)
anxiety disorders
obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders (OCSD)
pain
vortioxetine (VOR)
serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SRI)
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1496072/full
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