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 .
A double-blind comparison of sertraline and clomipramine in the treatment of major depressive disorder and associated anxiety in general practice
In this double-blind study in primary care patients , the efficacy and safety of sertraline , an antidepressant which is a selective inhibitor of serotonin re-uptake , was compared with clomipramine .  Patients with DSM-III-defined major depression and with significant anxiety r and omly received 50 - 150 mg of either sertraline ( N=51 ) or clomipramine ( N=55 ) once daily for 6 weeks . The mean final daily dose was 63.5 mg sertraline and 60.6 mg clomipramine . Seventy five percent of sertraline-treated and 79 % of clomipramine-treated patients were maintained on the lowest dose of 50 mg once daily . The mean scores of all the rating scales ( HAM-D , HAM-A , HAD , CGI ) showed similar efficacy between the treatments in reducing the symptoms of depression and anxiety .  Clomipramine was less well tolerated than sertraline with a greater overall incidence of side effects , or significantly greater incidence of anticholinergic side effects and significantly more patient withdrawals due to side effects ; 18 % in the clomipramine group compared with 4 % in the sertraline group . The results indicate that sertraline is an effective agent to use in primary care patients with depression and associated symptoms of anxiety  and is better tolerated than the tricyclic comparator clomipramine
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 .