Venlafaxine for Treatment of Interferon Alfa–Induced Depression TO THE EDITOR: In

a controlled study involving 31 patients with chron-ic hepatitis C and without antidepressant therapy at baseline, 7 patients developed major depression after treatment with interferon alfa.1 Sertra-line, a selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), was used to treat de-pressive symptoms in that study. To our knowledge, we report the first published use of venlafaxine, a serotonin/norepinephrine-reuptake inhibitor (SNRI), in a patient with chronic hepatitis C and interferon alfa–induced depression. Case Report. A 41-year-old man with chronic hepatitis C was started on peginterferon alfa-2a2 180 µg weekly and ribavirin 1000 mg daily approximately 6 months after initial diagnosis. Three weeks later he experienced an unusual symptom combination of mood-incongruent visual hallucinations and depression. His history was significant for epilepsy, hypothyroidism, and well-controlled hypertension. He reported no history of hallucinations or depression. One sibling was reportedly treated for anxiety and depression. A family history for depressio