Paroxetine in treatment of generalized anxiety / 中国新药与临床杂志

ABSTRACT

AIM: To investigate the clinical effect and side-effects of paroxetine in the treatment of generalized anxiety (GA). 　METHODS: Ninety patients who met Chinese classification and diagnostic criteria of mental disorders, 2nd Rev Ed (CCMD-2-R) criteria for GA were randomly divided into paroxetine group of 30 patients (M 12, F 18; age 40 a±s 13 a) which was treated with paroxetine 20-40 mg, po, qd or bid, benzodiazepines group of 30 patients (M 13, F 17; age 37 a±13 a) among them, 16 patients were treated with alprazolam 0.4-0.8 mg, po, bid or tid, 14 patients were treated with clonazepam 1-2 mg, po, bid or tid and placebo group of 30 patients (M 11, F 19; age 37 a±13 a) which was treated with placebo 1 tablet, tid for 12 wk. Effects were evaluated with Hamailton anxiety scale (HAMA), self-rating anxiety scale (SAS), clinical global impression scales (CGI) and treatment emergent symptoms scale (TESS), before and after the wk 2,4,8,12 of treatment.　RESULTS: The excellent response rates of paroxetine group and benzodiazepines group were 90 % and 50 % (P<0.01). The side-effects of paroxetine group were dry mouth, constipation, nausea, but those were less than that of benzodiazepines group. 　CONCLUSION: The study suggests that paroxetine is an effective drug for the long treatment of GA and the side-effect is less.