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 .
Changes in Weight During Treatment for Depression
& NA ; Changes in appetite and weight were examined in a group of 47 carefully diagnosed primary depressives who were treated in a r and om design with either placebo ( N = 17 ) or amitryptyline ( N = 30 ) over a 35‐day protocol . While the amitriptyline treated group as a whole showed a greater gain in weight than did the placebo group ( 4.5 vs. 0.5 lb , p < 0.05 ) , no differential effects could be demonstrated between drug responders and nonresponders . Likewise , while a consistent relationship between the self‐report of decreased appetite and final weight change was noted in the placebo group , no simple relationship between final weight change and self‐reported changes in appetite were apparent in the drug‐treated patients . There was , however , a relationship between the report of decreased appetite and clinical severity of depression in the drug nonresponder subgroup despite significant weight gain during the protocol . Thus , weight change during this study period did not appear to show a simple relationship to corresponding clinical change . The clinical lore that has supported the notion that increased appetite and weight gain in patients being treated with tricyclic antidepressants are “ good ” signs can not be confirmed by our findings
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 .