[Trazodone and venlafaxine in treatment of depressive disorders]

Klinika Psychiatrii i Zaburzeń Nerwicowych z Oddziałem Interwencji Kryzysowych Uniwersytetu Medycznego w Lodzi.

In depressive disorders treatment a variety of antidepressant drugs is applied. Tricyclic antidepressant drugs are relatively well known together with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors group. The aim of the study was to evaluate trazodone efficiency and safety in comparison to venlafaxine treatments of depressive episode, recurrent depressive disorders and depressive episode in bipolar disorders. MATERIAL AND METHOD: 115 patients were involved in the study. The research lasted 42 days. There were no essential differences between the control group of patients at the beginning of the study. RESULTS: The final result was 11.4 +/- 8.1 according to HAMD-S scale in trazodone group and 11.9 +/- 8.0 in venlafaxine group. Significant improvement evaluated in HAMD-S and CGI scale was observed in 61.4% patients trazodone treated and 59.4% in venlafaxine group. At the beginning of the treatment some patients suffered from unwanted symptoms. In venlafaxine group the most common were libido decrease up to 12.9% and gastro-intestinal dysfunction in 11.3%. In trazodone group the most common symptom was gastro-intestinal dysfunction in 5.6%. Due to severe unwanted symptoms the treatment was stopped in 12.9% patients venlafaxine treated and in 7.4% patients treated by trazodone. CONCLUSION: Our study showed similar efficiency and safety of trazodone and venlafaxine for depression disorders. Trazodone efficiency in comparison to venlafaxine was faster, especially in 14th study day. It suggests that trazodone characterized by potentially quicker beginning of activity in patients with depression disorders.

PMID: 16161955 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]