Abstract
To the Editor. — Psychologic depression is considered by many to be an occasional adverse effect of treatment with propranolol and other β-blocking drugs. This suspicion is apparently confirmed by Thiessen et al 1 in their article concerning the increased prescription of antidepressant drugs to patients who recently started treatment with a β blocker, particularly propranolol. Were those patients actually suffering from depression or from something else? Patients treated with a β blocker rarely suffer from a depressive illness, as described in the manual of mental disorders. 2 The major features of the syndrome include loss of energy, alertness, drive, and interest, together with fatigue, inertia, or ennui. There is no sense of sadness, guilt, or self-accusation. Pleasure is reduced in working, loving, and living because of inadequate stimulation. There is no single word to describe the syndrome. Patients claim that they need a charge or stimulus. They seem to
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