A novel placebo lead-in behavior strategy for sertraline dosing in a depressed patient highly sensitive to medication side effects.

Reports the case of 49-yr-old female with a 20-yr history of major depressive disorder who had previously discontinued several trials of antidepressant medications due to side effects. The S agreed to a treatment that would begin with a placebo lead-in followed by an escalating dosage schedule of sertraline. The precise timing of the dosage escalation schedule was known only by pharmacy staff. The Ss was also told not to write about or discuss her side effects. After completion of the trial, the S reported a significant improvement in her depression and anxiety. The only side effects were mild headache and fatigue. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)