Azapirones may be less effective than benzodiazepines and we were unable to conclude if azapirones were superior to antidepressants , kava kava or psychotherapy .
Azapirones appeared to be well tolerated .
Azapirones appeared to be useful in the treatment of GAD , particularly for those participants who had not been on a benzodiazepine .
Azapirones may not be superior to benzodiazepines and do not appear as acceptable as benzodiazepines .
Side effects appeared mild and non serious in the azapirone treated group .
Longer term studies are needed to show that azapirones are effective in treating GAD , which is a chronic long-term illness
BACKGROUND Azapirones are a group of drugs that work at the 5-HT1A receptor and are used to treat patients suffering from generalized anxiety disorder ( GAD ) .
However , several studies have shown conflicting results .
Whether azapirones are useful as first line treatment in general anxiety disorders still needs to be answered .
OBJECTIVES To assess the efficacy and the acceptability of azapirones for the treatment of GAD .
Gepirone and diazepam in generalized anxiety disorder: a placebo-controlled trial.
This r and omized , double-blind clinical trial involving 198 generalized anxiety disorder ( GAD ) patients was conducted to more clearly define gepirone 's role for the treatment of anxiety in daily dosages of 10 to 45 mg compared with diazepam and placebo . A secondary goal was to test for possible discontinuation symptoms after abrupt discontinuation of therapy . After a 1-week washout period , patients were treated for 8 weeks and then abruptly shifted under single-blind conditions for 2 weeks on placebo . The highest attrition rate occurred with patients on gepirone ( 58 % ) and the lowest on diazepam ( 34 % ) . Medication intake for week 4 was 19.5 + /- 12.5 mg/day diazepam and 19.0 + /- 11.5 mg/day gepirone and was similar at week 8 . The major adverse events were light-headedness , nausea , and insomnia for gepirone and drowsiness and fatigue for diazepam . Clinical improvement data showed gepirone 's anxiolytic response to be delayed , being significant from placebo beginning at week 6 , whereas diazepam caused significantly more relief than placebo from week 1 onward . Taper results showed that only diazepam , but not gepirone , caused a temporary worsening of anxiety symptoms or rebound
Azapirones may be less effective than benzodiazepines and we were unable to conclude if azapirones were superior to antidepressants , kava kava or psychotherapy .
Azapirones appeared to be well tolerated .
Azapirones appeared to be useful in the treatment of GAD , particularly for those participants who had not been on a benzodiazepine .
Azapirones may not be superior to benzodiazepines and do not appear as acceptable as benzodiazepines .
Side effects appeared mild and non serious in the azapirone treated group .
Longer term studies are needed to show that azapirones are effective in treating GAD , which is a chronic long-term illness
BACKGROUND Azapirones are a group of drugs that work at the 5-HT1A receptor and are used to treat patients suffering from generalized anxiety disorder ( GAD ) .
However , several studies have shown conflicting results .
Whether azapirones are useful as first line treatment in general anxiety disorders still needs to be answered .
OBJECTIVES To assess the efficacy and the acceptability of azapirones for the treatment of GAD .