The Journal of clinical psychiatry
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
A comparative trial of fluoxetine and amitriptyline in patients with major depressive disorder.
The efficacy and safety of fluoxetine, a new antidepressant agent, were assessed in a double-blind, parallel, randomized study of 44 outpatients with major depressive disorder. Following a 1-week placebo period, patients were randomly assigned to either fluoxetine or amitriptyline for a period of 5 weeks. ⋯ Both drugs were effective in relieving the symptoms of depression. The most frequently reported side effects were nausea and nervousness for fluoxetine, and dry mouth, dizziness, and drowsiness for amitriptyline.
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Carbamazepine was given to five patients with mixed frontal lobe disease and a variety of primary psychiatric disorders. All five patients benefited significantly. A decrease in affective lability was the most consistent result. Carbamazepine may be an alternative to chronic high-dose neuroleptic therapy in these patients.