Some statistically significant differences between citalopram and other antidepressants for the acute phase treatment of major depression were found in terms of efficacy , tolerability and acceptability .
Citalopram was more efficacious than paroxetine and reboxetine and more acceptable than tricyclics , reboxetine and venlafaxine , however , it seemed to be less efficacious than escitalopram .
BACKGROUND Recent US and UK clinical practice guidelines recommend that second-generation antidepressants should be considered amongst the best first-line options when drug therapy is indicated for a depressive episode .
Systematic review s have already highlighted some differences in efficacy between second-generation antidepressants .
Citalopram , one of the first selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors ( SSRI ) introduced in the market , is one of these antidepressant drugs that clinicians use for routine depression care .
OBJECTIVES To assess the evidence for the efficacy , acceptability and tolerability of citalopram in comparison with tricyclics , heterocyclics , other SSRIs and other conventional and non-conventional antidepressants in the acute-phase treatment of major depression .
A comparison of mirtazapine and nortriptyline following two consecutive failed medication treatments for depressed outpatients: a STAR*D report.
OBJECTIVE Few controlled studies have addressed the issue of which antidepressant medications should be recommended for out patients who have not responded to multiple treatment trials . This study compared the efficacy of switching to mirtazapine to that of switching to a tricyclic antidepressant ( nortriptyline ) following two prospect i ve , consecutive , unsuccessful medication treatments for nonpsychotic major depressive disorder . METHOD Following lack of remission or an inability to tolerate an initial trial of citalopram for up to 12 weeks ( first step ) and a second trial with either monotherapy involving another antidepressant or augmentation of citalopram with bupropion or buspirone ( second step ) , adult out patients ( N=235 ) with nonpsychotic major depressive disorder were r and omly assigned to 14 weeks of treatment with mirtazapine ( up to 60 mg/day ) ( N=114 ) or nortriptyline ( up to 200 mg/day ) ( N=121 ) . The primary outcome , symptom remission , was defined a priori as a total exit score of < /=7 on the 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression . The 16-item Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology-Self-Report ( QIDS-SR(16 ) ) , obtained at treatment visits , provided secondary outcomes of remission ( score < /=5 at exit ) and response ( > /=50 % reduction in score from baseline ) . RESULTS For mirtazapine , remission rates were 12.3 % and 8.0 % per the Hamilton and QIDS-SR(16 ) scores , respectively . For nortriptyline , remission rates were 19.8 % and 12.4 % , respectively . QIDS-SR(16 ) response rates were 13.4 % for mirtazapine and 16.5 % for nortriptyline . Neither response nor remission rates statistically differed by treatment , nor did these two treatments differ in tolerability or adverse events . CONCLUSIONS Switching to a third antidepressant monotherapy regimen after two consecutive unsuccessful antidepressant trials result ed in low remission rates ( < 20 % ) among patients with major depressive disorder
Some statistically significant differences between citalopram and other antidepressants for the acute phase treatment of major depression were found in terms of efficacy , tolerability and acceptability .
Citalopram was more efficacious than paroxetine and reboxetine and more acceptable than tricyclics , reboxetine and venlafaxine , however , it seemed to be less efficacious than escitalopram .
BACKGROUND Recent US and UK clinical practice guidelines recommend that second-generation antidepressants should be considered amongst the best first-line options when drug therapy is indicated for a depressive episode .
Systematic review s have already highlighted some differences in efficacy between second-generation antidepressants .
Citalopram , one of the first selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors ( SSRI ) introduced in the market , is one of these antidepressant drugs that clinicians use for routine depression care .
OBJECTIVES To assess the evidence for the efficacy , acceptability and tolerability of citalopram in comparison with tricyclics , heterocyclics , other SSRIs and other conventional and non-conventional antidepressants in the acute-phase treatment of major depression .