These drugs were better tolerated than tricyclics and benzodiazepines as they had a low risk of dependence and overdosing complications .
The serotonergic , noradrenergic and GABAergic pathways play a major role in the fear network and in the physiopathology of PD .
INTRODUCTION Panic disorder ( PD ) is a prevalent psychiatric disorder characterized by unexpected and recurrent panic attacks .
PD patients present significant psychosocial impairment and a high risk of psychiatric comorbidities and suicide .
PD should be treated effectively as soon as the symptoms emerge because the longer these patients remain without treatment , the worse the prognosis will be .
SSRIs and SNRIs are the first-line compounds in the treatment of PD .
Olanzapine Augmentation in Treatment-Resistant Panic Disorder: A 12-Week, Fixed-Dose, Open-Label Trial
The purpose of our study was to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of low-dose olanzapine augmentation in selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI)-resistant panic disorder ( PD ) with or without agoraphobia . In this 12-week , open-label study , 31 adult out patients with treatment-resistant PD who had previously failed to respond to SSRI treatment were treated with fixed dose of olanzapine ( 5 mg/d ) in addition to SSRI .  Efficacy was assessed using the Panic Attack and Anticipatory Anxiety Scale ( PAAAS ) , the Agoraphobic Cognitions Question naire ( ACQ ) , the Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety ( HAM-A ) , the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression ( HAM-D ) , the Global Assessment of Functioning Scale ( GAF ) , and the Clinical Global Impression of Improvement ( CGI-I ) . Twenty-six patients completed the trial period with a dropout rate of 16.1 % . At week 12 , 21 patients were responders ( 81.8 % ) , and an overall improvement on all rating scales was observed in all patients both with or without agoraphobia . Fifteen patients ( 57.7 % ) achieved remission . Olanzapine was well tolerated and the most frequent adverse effects were mild-to-moderate weight gain and drowsiness . No extrapyramidal symptoms were reported . Olanzapine appears to be effective as augmentation strategy in the treatment of SSRI-resistant PD , but study limitations must be considered and placebo-controlled studies are needed
These drugs were better tolerated than tricyclics and benzodiazepines as they had a low risk of dependence and overdosing complications .
The serotonergic , noradrenergic and GABAergic pathways play a major role in the fear network and in the physiopathology of PD .
INTRODUCTION Panic disorder ( PD ) is a prevalent psychiatric disorder characterized by unexpected and recurrent panic attacks .
PD patients present significant psychosocial impairment and a high risk of psychiatric comorbidities and suicide .
PD should be treated effectively as soon as the symptoms emerge because the longer these patients remain without treatment , the worse the prognosis will be .
SSRIs and SNRIs are the first-line compounds in the treatment of PD .