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 .
A randomized controlled trial of venlafaxine ER and paroxetine in the treatment of outpatients with panic disorder
RATIONALE Few r and omized , placebo-controlled trials have evaluated the comparative efficacy and tolerability of more than one pharmacological agent for panic disorder . OBJECTIVES The primary objective of this study was to compare the efficacy and tolerability of venlafaxine extended release ( ER ) with placebo in treating panic disorder . Secondary objectives included comparing paroxetine with venlafaxine ER and placebo . METHODS Out patients aged > or = 18 years ( placebo , n = 157 ; venlafaxine ER 75 mg , n = 156 ; venlafaxine ER 225 mg , n = 160 ; paroxetine , n = 151 ) , with a primary diagnosis of panic disorder ( + /-agoraphobia ) based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ( Fourth Edition ) criteria for > or =3 months were r and omly assigned to receive venlafaxine ER ( titrated to 75 mg/day or 225 mg/day ) , paroxetine ( titrated to 40 mg/day ) , or placebo for 12 weeks . The primary efficacy measure was the percentage of patients free of full-symptom panic attacks ( > or = four symptoms ) at endpoint . Key secondary outcomes included the Panic Disorder Severity Scale ( PDSS ) mean score change and response . RESULTS At endpoint , all active treatment groups showed a significantly ( P < 0.01 ) greater proportion of patients free of full-symptom panic attacks , compared with placebo , and were superior ( P < 0.05 ) on most secondary measures . The venlafaxine ER 225 mg group had significantly ( P < 0.05 ) greater mean PDSS score improvement than the paroxetine group ( -12.58 vs -11.87 ) and a significantly higher proportion of patients free of full symptom panic attacks ( 70.0 vs 58.3 % ) . Both drugs were generally well tolerated . CONCLUSION Venlafaxine ER 75 mg/days and 225 mg/days and paroxetine 40 mg/day were both well tolerated and effective for short-term treatment of panic disorder
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 .