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 .
Baseline anxiety effect on outcome of SSRI treatment in patients with severe depression: escitalopram vs paroxetine
Abstract Objective : To investigate if treatment outcome for severely depressed patients depends on their baseline level of anxiety . Research design and methods : Patients with a primary diagnosis of severe major depressive disorder ( n = 459 ) were r and omised to 24 weeks of double-blind treatment with escitalopram ( 20 mg ) or paroxetine ( 40 mg ) . Post hoc analyses of efficacy in patients with a baseline HAM-A total score ≤20 ( n = 171 ) or > 20 ( n = 280 ) were based on analysis of covariance ( ANCOVA ) ( ITT , LOCF ) . Results : At week 24 , the mean change from baseline in MADRS total scores was −24.2 for escitalopram-treated patients ( n = 141 ) and −21.5 for paroxetine-treated patients ( n = 139 ) ( p < 0.05 ) in high baseline anxiety patients and the mean change from baseline in HAM-A total score was −17.4 ( escitalopram ) and −15.1 ( paroxetine ) ( p < 0.05 ) . When examining the proportion of complete remitters ( CGI-S = 1 ) after 24 weeks of treatment , there was an increasing treatment difference as a function of baseline HAM-A total score in favour of escitalopram ( ITT , LOCF ) . There was no treatment difference in the low baseline anxiety group . Significantly more patients ( p < 0.01 ) withdrew from the paroxetine group ( 31 % ) than from the escitalopram group ( 17 % ) , partly as the result of significantly more withdrawals due to AEs ( p < 0.05 ) . Incidence of AEs and withdrawals were not related to baseline anxiety and there were no significant differences in the incidence of individual AEs  with escitalopram compared to paroxetine . Limitations : The post hoc nature of these analyses , the absence of placebo control group , and the requirement that patients should be suffering from severe depression , limit the generalisability of the results . Conclusion : Patients with severe depression together with comorbid anxiety symptoms responded significantly better to treatment with escitalopram 20 mg compared with paroxetine 40 mg . Contrary to paroxetine , escitalopram maintained its efficacy with increasing baseline anxiety levels
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 .