Successful treatment of pruritus with mirtazapine in a patient with advanced cancer

ABSTRACT

<b>Purpose</b> To report a case of successful treatment of pruritus with mirtazapine in a patient with advanced cancer. <b>Case summary</b> A male patient in his seventies with advanced malignant lymphoma had pruritus. The patient began to have pruritus within a few days after starting anti-epilepsy treatment. Oral mirtazapine was administered at a dose of 15 mg/day. Within 2 days, the patient showed partial improvement of his symptoms. After 7 days of mirtazapine therapy, the pruritus significantly improved. While the patient was taking a dose of 15 mg/day, he remained asymptomatic. <b>Conclusion</b> There are only a few reports (none in Japan) showing the effectiveness of mirtazapine against pruritus in patients with advanced cancer. Although the mechanism of the pruritus-relieving effect of mirtazapine is not fully understood, this case report indicates that mirtazapine may help in the treatment of patients suffering from intractable pruritus.