A randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled trial of oral creatine monohydrate augmentation for enhanced response to a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor in women with major depressive disorder.
Level 2 - randomized trial
Individual randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial.
PubMed 22864465 · doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.2012.12010009
What was done
Fifty-two women with major depressive disorder participated in an 8-week double-blind placebo-controlled trial. All received escitalopram and were randomized to either creatine monohydrate (5 g/day, n=25) or placebo (n=27). The primary outcome was change in Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D) scores.
What was found
Creatine augmentation produced significantly greater reductions in HAM-D scores compared with placebo starting at week 2, maintaining significant superiority at weeks 4 and 8 (numeric HAM-D scores not reported in abstract). Premature discontinuation occurred in 32.0% (n=8) of creatine participants versus 18.5% (n=5) of placebo participants, a non-significant difference. Total reported adverse events were 36 with creatine and 45 with placebo.
Why it matters
Adjunctive creatine may accelerate and improve antidepressant response to SSRIs in women with major depressive disorder, potentially overcoming the typical multi-week lag in treatment onset.
Limits
The sample was small (n=52) and restricted exclusively to women. Numerical HAM-D scores, effect sizes, and p-values were omitted from the abstract. Treatment discontinuation was numerically higher in the creatine group.
Cited by
- supports In a clinical trial of women with major depression, adding 5 g of creatine daily to an antidepressant doubled the remission rate over 8 weeks.
- supports Adding creatine as an adjunct to SSRIs, cognitive behavioral therapy, or methamphetamine addiction treatment improves clinical depressive and anxiety symptoms.