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 .
Long-term therapeutic use of benzodiazepines. II. Effects of gradual taper.
We compared the effect on withdrawal severity and acute outcome of a 25 % per week taper of short half-life vs long half-life benzodiazepines in 63 benzodiazepine-dependent patients . Patients unable to tolerate taper were permitted to slow the taper rate . Ninety percent of patients experienced a withdrawal reaction , but it was rarely more than mild to moderate . Nonetheless , 32 % of long half-life and 42 % of short half-life benzodiazepine-treated patients were unable to achieve a drug-free state . The most difficulty was experienced in the last half of taper . Baseline personality , high Eysenck neuroticism , female sex , and mild-to-moderate alcohol use were found to be more significant predictors of withdrawal severity than the daily benzodiazepine dose or benzodiazepine half-life . These findings suggest that personality factors contribute significantly to the patient 's difficulties with gradual benzodiazepine discontinuation of therapeutic doses of benzodiazepines
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 .