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 .
A double-blind, controlled trial in primary care patients with generalized anxiety: a comparison between buspirone and oxazepam.
Two hundred thirty patients with generalized anxiety and Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety ( HAM-A ) scores greater than or equal to 18 were subdivided at r and om , according to a double-blind design , into one group treated with 5 - 10 mg of oral buspirone t.i.d . or one group treated with 10 - 20 mg of oral oxazepam t.i.d . for 6 weeks . No anxiolytic treatment was allowed 3 months prior to trial entry . Analysis of demographic variables revealed no significant imbalance between the two treatment groups . Twenty patients were excluded from efficacy analysis because of treatment withdrawal before the first efficacy evaluation on Day 7 . Another 4 patients were excluded because they were taking concomitant psychotropic medication . The remaining 206 patients displayed a decrease in HAM-A scores ( mean + /- SD ) from 23.9 + /- 4.1 to 10.6 + /- 7.7 in the buspirone group and from 23.9 + /- 4.2 to 11.5 + /- 8.0 in the oxazepam group . The two treatment groups were also found to be virtually identical in an " intent to treat " analysis of all 230 patients as well as in other ratings ( Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression , Raskin Depression Scale , Covi Anxiety Scale , Physicians Question naire , global ratings , and Hopkins Symptom Checklist [HSCL]-56 ) . However , oxazepam was never superior to buspirone in any of the efficacy analyses . Of the 230 patients , 127 spontaneously reported adverse events , including drowsiness , dizziness , headache , nausea , and nervousness . Adverse events were relatively similar in the two groups . In conclusion , buspirone and oxazepam appear to be equally effective in the treatment of generalized anxiety encountered by general practitioners . This outcome , in addition to a previously documented absence of any dependency liability , makes buspirone a clinical ly important anxiolytic drug
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 .