Mirtazapine was significantly more effective than a serotonin-noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor ( venlafaxine only , two trials , n = 415 ) at two weeks ( OR 2.29 , 95 % CI 1.45 to 3.59 ) and at the end of acute-phase treatment ( OR 1.53 , 95 % CI 1.03 to 2.25).In terms of dropouts , there was no robust evidence to detect a difference between mirtazapine and other antidepressants .
Mirtazapine was more likely to cause weight gain or increased appetite and somnolence than SSRIs but less likely to cause nausea or vomiting and sexual dysfunction .
AUTHORS ' CONCLUSIONS Some statistically significant and possibly clinical ly meaningful differences between mirtazapine and other antidepressive agents were found for the acute-phase treatment of major depression .
Mirtazapine is likely to have a faster onset of action than SSRIs during the acute-phase treatment .
Dropouts occur similarly in participants treated with mirtazapine and those treated with other antidepressants , although the adverse event profile of mirtazapine is unique
BACKGROUND Mirtazapine has a unique mechanism of antidepressive action and is one of the commonly used antidepressants in clinical practice .
OBJECTIVES The aim of the present review was to assess the evidence on the efficacy and acceptability of mirtazapine compared with other antidepressive agents in the acute-phase treatment of major depression in adults .
Venlafaxine and mirtazapine treatment lowers serum concentrations of dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate in depressed patients remitting during the course of treatment.
OBJECTIVES The adrenal and rogen dehydroepi and rosterone-sulfate ( DHEA-S ) seems to be involved in the pathophysiology of depression , although its precise role in the etiology and remission of depression remains unclear . In the present study we intended to examine possible differential effects of venlafaxine and mirtazapine in a r and omised open trial with regard to DHEA-S serum concentrations in patients suffering from major depressive episode compared to healthy controls . METHODS We assessed DHEA-S concentrations both at baseline and after a 4-week treatment period in 70 depressed patients ( n=33 for venlafaxine and n=37 for mirtazapine ) and 33 matched healthy controls . RESULTS We describe the decrease of DHEA-S levels in depressive patients who remitted after treatment with both venlafaxine or mirtazapine .  Patients without remission of depression did not show a significant decline in DHEA-S concentrations . CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest an effect of treatment outcome upon DHEA-S concentrations rather than a direct drug effect . The change of plasma DHEA-S levels as a marker of treatment-response of depression warrant further investigation
Mirtazapine was significantly more effective than a serotonin-noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor ( venlafaxine only , two trials , n = 415 ) at two weeks ( OR 2.29 , 95 % CI 1.45 to 3.59 ) and at the end of acute-phase treatment ( OR 1.53 , 95 % CI 1.03 to 2.25).In terms of dropouts , there was no robust evidence to detect a difference between mirtazapine and other antidepressants .
Mirtazapine was more likely to cause weight gain or increased appetite and somnolence than SSRIs but less likely to cause nausea or vomiting and sexual dysfunction .
AUTHORS ' CONCLUSIONS Some statistically significant and possibly clinical ly meaningful differences between mirtazapine and other antidepressive agents were found for the acute-phase treatment of major depression .
Mirtazapine is likely to have a faster onset of action than SSRIs during the acute-phase treatment .
Dropouts occur similarly in participants treated with mirtazapine and those treated with other antidepressants , although the adverse event profile of mirtazapine is unique
BACKGROUND Mirtazapine has a unique mechanism of antidepressive action and is one of the commonly used antidepressants in clinical practice .
OBJECTIVES The aim of the present review was to assess the evidence on the efficacy and acceptability of mirtazapine compared with other antidepressive agents in the acute-phase treatment of major depression in adults .