Amitriptyline is an efficacious antidepressant drug .
It is , however , also associated with a number of side effects .
Degree of placebo response and severity of depression at baseline may moderate drug-placebo efficacy differences
BACKGROUND Amitriptyline is a tricyclic antidepressant that was synthesis ed in 1960 and introduced as early as 1961 in the USA , but is still regularly used .
It has also been frequently used as an active comparator in trials on newer antidepressants and can therefore be called a ' benchmark ' antidepressant .
However , its efficacy and safety compared to placebo in the treatment of major depression has not been assessed in a systematic review and meta- analysis .
OBJECTIVES To assess the effects of amitriptyline compared to placebo or no treatment for major depressive disorder in adults .
Comparative effects of amitriptyline and amineptine in patients affected by anxious depression.
In a double-blind , placebo-controlled study , the therapeutic efficacy of two antidepressants with different neurochemical mechanisms of action , amitriptyline and amineptine , was investigated in patients affected by anxious depression . Sixty-six patients with the primary diagnosis of major depression or bipolar affective disorder ( DSM-III-R ) and meeting additional operational clinical criteria such as anxiety , trepidation , restlessness , early and /or late insomnia , impulsivity , hostility , dysphoria , compulsivity , hyperperspiration , palpitation , pollakiuria and phobias were included . They were r and omly assigned to three groups ( n = 22 ) and treated either with placebo , amitriptyline ( up to 100 mg/day ) or amineptine ( up to 200 mg/day ) for 6 weeks . Patients showed better response to amitriptyline , a preferential inhibitor of serotonin reuptake , than to amineptine , a selective inhibitor of dopamine reuptake . The present results suggest that alterations in serotonergic rather than dopaminergic transmission contribute to the pathophysiology of anxious depression
Amitriptyline is an efficacious antidepressant drug .
It is , however , also associated with a number of side effects .
Degree of placebo response and severity of depression at baseline may moderate drug-placebo efficacy differences
BACKGROUND Amitriptyline is a tricyclic antidepressant that was synthesis ed in 1960 and introduced as early as 1961 in the USA , but is still regularly used .
It has also been frequently used as an active comparator in trials on newer antidepressants and can therefore be called a ' benchmark ' antidepressant .
However , its efficacy and safety compared to placebo in the treatment of major depression has not been assessed in a systematic review and meta- analysis .
OBJECTIVES To assess the effects of amitriptyline compared to placebo or no treatment for major depressive disorder in adults .