RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Existing data suggest that selective serotonin uptake inhibitors (SSRIs) may have an impact on urinary frequency. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of SSRIs and selective noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) on nocturnal urinary frequency. METHODS: This was a retrospective study comparing nocturnal urinary frequency in individuals on SSRI or SNRI therapy versus no therapy during nocturnal polysomnography in a 14-month period at a sleep center. RESULTS: A total of 316 individuals were studied: 94 in the SSRI/SNRI group and 222 controls. No statistically significant difference was found in nocturnal urinary frequency between those on SSRI/SNRI therapy and the control group (0.40 vs 0.34 bathroom visits/night, P = 0.40). The degree of urinary frequency was higher in sertraline users (0.61 bathroom visits/night) compared with duloxetine users (0.18 visits/night, 2-tailed P = 0.04). A post hoc analysis suggested that the difference between these 2 agents is a class effect (SSRIs vs SNRIs, 2-tailed P = 0.03). The sample size did not allow conclusive comparison of either the SSRI or the SNRI group with the control group. CONCLUSION: SSRI/SNRI agents as a combined group do not appear to have a significant impact on nocturnal urinary frequency. The SSRIs and SNRIs may have an opposite effect on nocturnal frequency.
