Treatment of depression and pharmaceutical preparations therefor

A method of treating depression in a patient in need of such treatment comprising administering to the patient a therapeutically effective amount of an anti-depressive compound selected from fluoxetine, fluvoxamine, paroxetine, sertraline, citalopram, venlafaxine, nefazodone, trazodone and reboxetine, in combination with a compound selected from folic acid and methyltetrahydrofolate, wherein the rate equivalent administration of folic acid and methyltetrahydrofolate provides from 300 to 5,000 micrograms per day folate.

A method of reducing the side effects of depression in a patient in need of such treatment comprising administering to the patient a therapeutically effective amount of an anti-depressive compound selected from the class of compounds comprising serotonin reuptake inhibitors and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors, in combination with a folate source selected from folic acid and folate precursors, wherein the administration of the folate source provides from 300 to 5,000 micrograms per day folate.

A method of treating depression in a patient in need of such treatment comprising administering to the patient a therapeutically effective amount of an anti-depressive compound selected from the class of compounds comprising serotonin reuptake inhibitors and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors, in combination with a folate source selected from folic acid and folate precursor, wherein the patient has cardiovascular disease or is at risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

A method of treating depression in a patient in need of such treatment comprising administering to the patient a therapeutically effective amount of a noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor simultaneously with a folate source at a dosage of 300 to 5,000 micrograms per day folate.

A method of treating depression in a patient in need of such treatment comprising administering to the patient a therapeutically effective amount of a serotonin reuptake inhibitor simultaneously with a folate source at a dosage of 300 to 5,000 micrograms per day folate.

A pharmaceutical composition comprising an anti-depressive compound selected from the class of compounds comprising serotonin reuptake inhibitors and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors, and a folate source selected from folic acid and folate precursors, wherein 1 to 8 units of the composition contains the anti-depressive compound in a therapeutically effective a mount and the folate source provides from 300 to 5,000 micrograms per day folate.