Azapirones may be less effective than benzodiazepines and we were unable to conclude if azapirones were superior to antidepressants , kava kava or psychotherapy .
Azapirones appeared to be well tolerated .
Azapirones appeared to be useful in the treatment of GAD , particularly for those participants who had not been on a benzodiazepine .
Azapirones may not be superior to benzodiazepines and do not appear as acceptable as benzodiazepines .
Side effects appeared mild and non serious in the azapirone treated group .
Longer term studies are needed to show that azapirones are effective in treating GAD , which is a chronic long-term illness
BACKGROUND Azapirones are a group of drugs that work at the 5-HT1A receptor and are used to treat patients suffering from generalized anxiety disorder ( GAD ) .
However , several studies have shown conflicting results .
Whether azapirones are useful as first line treatment in general anxiety disorders still needs to be answered .
OBJECTIVES To assess the efficacy and the acceptability of azapirones for the treatment of GAD .
Placebo‐controlled comparison of the clinical effects of rapid discontinuation of ipsapirone and lorazepam after 8 weeks of treatment for generalized anxiety disorder
One hundred and sixty patients ( mean age 39.8 years ; 67 % female ) diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder ( GAD ) who had completed a prospect i ve , 8 week , double-blind comparison of lorazepam  ( mean daily dose 4.2 mg ) and  ipsapirone ( mean daily dose 19.5 mg ) were rapidly tapered by a substitution of half-strength medication for 3 days , then substitution of matched placebo for an additional 11 days . Patients treated with ipsapirone showed no rebound anxiety on discontinuation , nor any other significant increase in withdrawal symptomatology compared to patients who had been prospect ively treated with placebo . In contrast , patients treated with lorazepam showed significant emergent anxiety and /or withdrawal-related symptomatology by almost all clinical measures employed . Overall , 25 % of patients treated with lorazepam showed rebound anxiety , and 40 % of them utilized reserve medication because they found drug discontinuation to be intolerable . The clinical implication s for discontinuation of benzodiazepines after short-term therapy are discussed
Azapirones may be less effective than benzodiazepines and we were unable to conclude if azapirones were superior to antidepressants , kava kava or psychotherapy .
Azapirones appeared to be well tolerated .
Azapirones appeared to be useful in the treatment of GAD , particularly for those participants who had not been on a benzodiazepine .
Azapirones may not be superior to benzodiazepines and do not appear as acceptable as benzodiazepines .
Side effects appeared mild and non serious in the azapirone treated group .
Longer term studies are needed to show that azapirones are effective in treating GAD , which is a chronic long-term illness
BACKGROUND Azapirones are a group of drugs that work at the 5-HT1A receptor and are used to treat patients suffering from generalized anxiety disorder ( GAD ) .
However , several studies have shown conflicting results .
Whether azapirones are useful as first line treatment in general anxiety disorders still needs to be answered .
OBJECTIVES To assess the efficacy and the acceptability of azapirones for the treatment of GAD .