Amoxapine and Neurologic Deficits

Excerpt

To the editor: In the cases reported by Goldberg and Spector (1), the development of permanent neurologic deficits in two patients was attributed to the toxic effects of amoxapine. We question this conclusion, and feel that a more reasonable cause for the neurologic sequellae was cerebral anoxia or severe metabolic acidosis.

Both patients presented with coma, multiple seizures, and metabolic acidosis after large overdoses of amoxapine. The neurologic damage in these two patients may have had several responsible mechanisms. Central nervous system morbidity and mortality are not uncommon after status epilepticus and are felt to reflect the duration of the