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 .
A comparison of moclobemide, amitriptyline and placebo in depression: a Canadian multicentre study
In a 7-week prospect i ve multicentre study , the efficacy , tolerability and safety of moclobemide were compared to those of amitriptyline and placebo in parallel groups of out- patients ( n=173 ) fulfilling the DSM III-R criteria for a major depressive episode . Participants were required to have a minimum baseline total score of 18 on the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale ( HAMD ) . After a 1-week placebo washout , patients were r and omly allocated to the three treatment groups . Assessment of efficacy , as judged by the number of responders achieving a 50 % reduction in HAMD score by the end of treatment , showed that both moclobemide and amitriptyline were significantly superior to placebo , but that they were not significantly different from each other . Both treatments differed significantly from placebo with respect to the Physician 's Global Assessment of Efficacy ( ‘ very good ’ or ‘ good ’ response : moclobemide 57 % , amitriptyline 60 % and placebo 35 % ) . Assessment of tolerance as judged by the spontaneous reporting of adverse events showed a significant superiority of moclobemide over amitriptyline , but there was no significant difference between moclobemide and placebo . At termination of the study , amitriptyline patients showed a significant elevation of heart rate both supine ( 10.8 beats/min ) and st and ing ( 15.5 beats/min ) , as well as significant weight gain ( 1.7 kg ) , but no changes were seen in the moclobemide or placebo groups . In conclusion , both moclobemide and amitriptyline were found to be more effective than placebo in the treatment of depression , while moclobemide had fewer side effects
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 .