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Summary
Surveys carried out in the United Kingdom show that the tricyclic antidepressants were implicated as the sole or contributing cause of death in 370 cases in England and Wales alone in 1976. Further surveys of overdose cases confirm the relative toxicity of these drugs, which can cause pronounced cardiovascular and central nervous system effects. A high incidence of coma and convulsions has also been reported with maprotiline overdose. The results of a similar survey, using the same criteria for inclusion, carried out in cases of mianserin overdose strongly suggest that mianserin is less toxic than both the tricyclic antidepressants and maprotiline.