Journal of affective disorders
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Comparative Study Clinical Trial
A double-blind comparison of fluvoxamine, imipramine and placebo in depressed patients.
In a placebo-controlled, double-blind study of 91 out-patient depressives, the anti-depressant effect of fluvoxamine, a selective serotonin uptake inhibitor was compared to that of imipramine. Overall drug effects were relatively weak but analyses in selected sub-groups showed both active drugs superior to placebo. Effects of fluvoxamine were more marked in non-situational depressives and it did not improve sleep while effects of imipramine were more marked in retarded depressives and on retardation ratings, suggesting that fluvoxamine may have a different pattern of clinical effects. Side effects of Fluvoxamine were predominantly gastrointestinal and it did not produce postural hypotension or anticholinergic side-effects.
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Methylene blue was given to patients who had failed to respond to standard therapies. Of the 19 manic depressives who received oral methylene blue, 14 were judged to show definite improvement, 3 patients in whom the diagnosis was uncertain showed no beneficial response.