Skip to main content
. 2022 Nov 30;9(12):1878. doi: 10.3390/children9121878

Table 2.

Antidepressant drugs used and recommended in the Italian pediatric haemato-oncology setting.

Antidepressive Drug Age Recommended Dose Side Effects
Fluoxetine
Fluvoxamine
(approved for ≥ 18) *		 >5 years old 10–20 mg/die
50–200 mg/die		 Headaches, gastrointestinal side effects, feeling jittery, disinhibited, activated impulsivity, agitation, and suicidality
Citalopram
(approved for ≥ 18) *		 >6 years old, especially in adolescent patients 10–40 mg/die Headaches, gastrointestinal side effects, feeling jittery, disinhibited, activated impulsivity, agitation, and suicidality
Escitalopram
(approved for ≥ 18) *		 pre-puberty
post-puberty		 5–20 mg/die
1–16 mg/die		 Headaches, gastrointestinal side effects, feeling jittery, disinhibited, activated impulsivity, agitation, and suicidality
Sertraline
(approved for ≥ 18) *		 6–17 years old 12.5–200 mg/die Headaches, gastrointestinal side effects, feeling jittery, disinhibited, activated impulsivity, agitation, and suicidality
Nortriptyline
Desipramine
Amitriptyline
(approved for ≥ 18) *		 >6 years old
>12 years old
>12 years old		 1–3 mg/kg/die
25–100 mg/die
10–200 mg/die		 Cardiovascular and anticholinergic side effects. May be lethal in overdose.
Mirtazapine
(approved for ≥ 18) *		 >6 years old 7.5–45 mg/die Somnolence, QTc prolongation, weight gain, and agranulocytosis

* Note: the approval of the drugs refers to the EMA.