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 .
Antidepressant treatment with mirtazapine, but not venlafaxine, lowers cortisol concentrations in saliva: A randomised open trial
Lowering the concentrations of free cortisol in depressed patients may be an important prerequisite to prevent glucocorticoid-related sequelae of depression . We tested the hypothesis that the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal ( HPA ) system-dampening effects of venlafaxine and mirtazapine differ . We compared the course of morning ( 08.00h ) and afternoon saliva cortisol ( 16.00h ) in 42 mirtazapine- and 45 venlafaxine-treated depressed patients during a 1-week wash-out and a 4-week treatment period in a r and omised open trial . Mirtazapine lowered afternoon cortisol from week 1 to 4 . In contrast , during the course of the entire treatment period , venlafaxine did not attenuate saliva cortisol concentrations . Treatment effects of mirtazapine on cortisol concentrations did not differ in remitters and non-remitters to treatment . High baseline cortisol concentrations , on the other h and , were related to an unfavourable course during venlafaxine treatment and patients remitting during venlafaxine treatment had significantly lower afternoon cortisol concentrations in saliva , when compared to non-remitting patients . Thus , mirtazapine and venlafaxine show different effects on HPA system activity as measured by saliva cortisol . This may be of relevance with regard to physical sequelae of depression
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 .