When alprazolam was compared with placebo for reduction in symptoms all estimates indicated a positive effect for alprazolam .
The RD of all-cause withdrawals did not differ between alprazolam and placebo .
Alprazolam appears to reduce depressive symptoms more effectively than placebo and as effectively as tricyclic antidepressants .
Whilst the rate of all-cause withdrawals did not appear to differ between alprazolam and placebo , and withdrawals were less frequent in the alprazolam group than in any of the conventional antidepressants combined group , these findings should be interpreted with caution , given the dependency properties of benzodiazepines
BACKGROUND The ' off-label ' effect of alprazolam on depression has not been systematic ally evaluated .
OBJECTIVES To determine the antidepressant effect , including tolerability and acceptability , of alprazolam as monotherapy for major depression , when compared to placebo and conventional antidepressants in out patients and patients in primary care .
Alprazolam and amitriptyline in the treatment of major depressive disorder: a double-blind clinical and sleep EEG study.
This study was design ed to compare the antidepressant effects of alprazolam and amitriptyline in a group of 30 in patients suffering from a severe major endogenous depression , diagnosed by Research Diagnostic Criteria and the Newcastle Rating scale , and to examine the effects of alprazolam and amitriptyline on two biological markers of depression , the dexamethasone suppression test and sleep EEG parameters . The 6-week study was double-blind with a r and om allocation of treatment . Patients were treated with flexible doses of 4 - 9 mg of alprazolam and 100 - 225 mg of amitriptyline . After 4 weeks of treatment the antidepressant effects of amitriptyline significantly exceeded those of alprazolam , as measured on the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression . There was a high drop-out rate in the alprazolam group because of ineffectiveness of treatment . Alprazolam showed similar effects on sleep parameters as amitriptyline : lengthening of the REM latency and a tendency to shorten stages 3 and 4 and stage REM . These negative clinical results should be interpreted with caution , because of the severity of our selection criteria , and should not be extended to all depressive disorders
When alprazolam was compared with placebo for reduction in symptoms all estimates indicated a positive effect for alprazolam .
The RD of all-cause withdrawals did not differ between alprazolam and placebo .
Alprazolam appears to reduce depressive symptoms more effectively than placebo and as effectively as tricyclic antidepressants .
Whilst the rate of all-cause withdrawals did not appear to differ between alprazolam and placebo , and withdrawals were less frequent in the alprazolam group than in any of the conventional antidepressants combined group , these findings should be interpreted with caution , given the dependency properties of benzodiazepines
BACKGROUND The ' off-label ' effect of alprazolam on depression has not been systematic ally evaluated .
OBJECTIVES To determine the antidepressant effect , including tolerability and acceptability , of alprazolam as monotherapy for major depression , when compared to placebo and conventional antidepressants in out patients and patients in primary care .