Abstract
135 in and outpatients fulfilling the criteria for DSMIIIR major depression, who scored at least 18 points on the 21-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD) were entered into this 6 week double-blind study: 120 (56 paroxetine, 64 fluvoxamine were evaluable on an intention to treat basis. After a 1 week placebo run-in period patients were randomly allocated to receive paroxetine (20-40mg/d) or fluvoxamine (100-200mg/d) for a period of 6 weeks. Fluvoxamine patients received 50mg for the first week. Assessments performed at baseline and at the end of weeks 1,2,4 and 6 comprised the HAM-D, Hamilton Anxiety rating Scale (HAMA) the physicians Clinical Global Impression (CGI) and a comprehensive safety evaluation. The two treatment groups were demographically well matched and showed similar improvements in mean total HAM-D, HAM-A and CGI scores during the study. More reports of emergent events occurred in the fluvoxamine group (64 v 52%), where there were also significantly more severe events (28% v 13%), p<0.05. Adverse events led to the withdrawal of 3(5.4%) paroxetine and 11(17.2%) fluvoxamine treated patients (p<0.05). Taken together these results show similar efficacy for paroxetine and fluvoxamine and suggest and overall tolerability advantage for paroxetine.
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Ansseau, M., Gabriels, A., Loyens, J. et al. Paroxetine in Major Depression: a double blind comparison with fluvoxamine. Neuropsychopharmacol 11, 264 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.npp.1380129
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.npp.1380129