Mirtazapine was significantly more effective than a serotonin-noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor ( venlafaxine only , two trials , n = 415 ) at two weeks ( OR 2.29 , 95 % CI 1.45 to 3.59 ) and at the end of acute-phase treatment ( OR 1.53 , 95 % CI 1.03 to 2.25).In terms of dropouts , there was no robust evidence to detect a difference between mirtazapine and other antidepressants .
Mirtazapine was more likely to cause weight gain or increased appetite and somnolence than SSRIs but less likely to cause nausea or vomiting and sexual dysfunction .
AUTHORS ' CONCLUSIONS Some statistically significant and possibly clinical ly meaningful differences between mirtazapine and other antidepressive agents were found for the acute-phase treatment of major depression .
Mirtazapine is likely to have a faster onset of action than SSRIs during the acute-phase treatment .
Dropouts occur similarly in participants treated with mirtazapine and those treated with other antidepressants , although the adverse event profile of mirtazapine is unique
BACKGROUND Mirtazapine has a unique mechanism of antidepressive action and is one of the commonly used antidepressants in clinical practice .
OBJECTIVES The aim of the present review was to assess the evidence on the efficacy and acceptability of mirtazapine compared with other antidepressive agents in the acute-phase treatment of major depression in adults .
A double‐blind study of the efficacy and safety of sertraline and clomipramine in outpatients with severe major depression
& NA ; This study compared the efficacy and safety of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor sertraline with that of the tricyclic antidepressant clomipramine in patients with severe depression , as defined by a baseline 17‐item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale ( HAM‐D ) of at least 25 . The study included 166 out patients , r and omized to double‐blind treatment with sertraline ( 50‐200 mg ) or clomipramine ( 50‐150 mg ) for 8 weeks .  The efficacy of both treatments was similar , 74 % of patients in the sertraline group and 71 % of clomipramine patients being classified as responders at the end‐point , as defined by a Clinical Global Impression‐Improvement ( CGI‐I ) score of 1 or 2 . Mean HAM‐D scores fell from 29.8 at baseline to 12.3 at endpoint in the sertraline group , and from 29.6‐12.7 in the clomipramine group . There were more withdrawals due to adverse events in the clomipramine group than in the sertraline group ( 17 % versus 12 % ) . Dry mouth , tremor , dizziness and constipation were all substantially more common in the clomipramine group , whereas diarrhoea / loose stools was more common in the sertraline group . Overall , sertraline was as effective as clomipramine in this group of severely depressed out patients , and showed better tolerability
Mirtazapine was significantly more effective than a serotonin-noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor ( venlafaxine only , two trials , n = 415 ) at two weeks ( OR 2.29 , 95 % CI 1.45 to 3.59 ) and at the end of acute-phase treatment ( OR 1.53 , 95 % CI 1.03 to 2.25).In terms of dropouts , there was no robust evidence to detect a difference between mirtazapine and other antidepressants .
Mirtazapine was more likely to cause weight gain or increased appetite and somnolence than SSRIs but less likely to cause nausea or vomiting and sexual dysfunction .
AUTHORS ' CONCLUSIONS Some statistically significant and possibly clinical ly meaningful differences between mirtazapine and other antidepressive agents were found for the acute-phase treatment of major depression .
Mirtazapine is likely to have a faster onset of action than SSRIs during the acute-phase treatment .
Dropouts occur similarly in participants treated with mirtazapine and those treated with other antidepressants , although the adverse event profile of mirtazapine is unique
BACKGROUND Mirtazapine has a unique mechanism of antidepressive action and is one of the commonly used antidepressants in clinical practice .
OBJECTIVES The aim of the present review was to assess the evidence on the efficacy and acceptability of mirtazapine compared with other antidepressive agents in the acute-phase treatment of major depression in adults .