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 .
Escitalopram 10 mg/day is effective and well tolerated in a placebo-controlled study in depression in primary care
Escitalopram , a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor ( SSRI ) , was compared to placebo in a study of patients with major depressive disorder ( DSM-IV ) who had baseline Montgomery – Åsberg Depression Rating Scale ( MADRS ) total scores ≥22 and ≤40 . After a 1-week , single-blind placebo period , patients were r and omized to receive escitalopram 10 mg/day  ( n = 191 ) or placebo  ( n = 189 ) in an 8-week , double-blind period . The primary efficacy analysis of adjusted mean change in MADRS total score from baseline showed a statistically significantly larger effect for escitalopram than for placebo with a treatment difference at week 8 ( last observation carried forward , LOCF ) of 2.7 points ( SE 0.85;P = 0.002 ) . In further by-week efficacy analyses , the effect of escitalopram was consistently larger than that of placebo ( P < 0.05 ) beginning at week 1 ( Clinical Global Impression – Improvement score ) , week 2 ( MADRS score ) or week 3 ( Clinical Global Impression – Severity score ) . Escitalopram was very well tolerated with a low overall withdrawal rate similar to that for placebo . Nausea was the only adverse event reported significantly more in escitalopram-treated patients than in placebo-treated patients , although it was infrequent and transient . Escitalopram 10 mg/day had a statistically significantly better antidepressant effect than placebo as early as week 1 , and was safe and very well tolerated
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 .