European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

EFFICACY AND TOLERABILITY OF PAROXETINE HYDROCLORIDE SOLUTION: SLOW TITRATION VS STANDARD TITRATION

Camilla Callegari*, Marta Ielmini, Lucia Bianchi, Melissa Lucano, Celeste Isella, Lorenza Bertù, Simone Vender

ABSTRACT

In the recent years, the psychiatric activity in Northern Italy have shown an increase of patients with anxiety and depressive disorders. SSRIs, including the formulation in drops, seem to be the first choice. The objective of this trial is to investigate the efficacy, safety and tolerability of paroxetine hydrochloride, extending the comparison between slow (starting dose 5 mg/die increased by 5 mg on the 7th day) and standard up titration (starting dose of 10 mg/die), already tested by other trials among specific populations, to an outpatient population with depressive and/or generalized anxiety disorder. Clinical analysis was based on a naturalistic trial performed on 186 patients. Treatment setting was a public outpatient center for anxiety and depression in Varese. The efficacy of paroxetine was confirmed in both kind of titration by the number of patient in clinical remission. Instead, about safety and tolerability there were found more frequent adverse events among the standard titration group ( 35.7 % vs 9.7% , p < 0.001 ). Comparing the other scales' scores between the two groups at T 1 and T2 emerged a statistically significant difference in the WHOQOL-Bref scale (p= 0.003, highest scores in slow titration group), and in the TAS (p <0.0003, highest scores in slow titration group); these data may be due to a higher quality of life, probably consequent to fewer perceived side effects. Our results are consistent with increased tolerability and safety of slow titration of paroxetine. However, these findings, need to be replicated in clinical trials.

Keywords: Paroxetine hydrochloride, Slow titration, Mood disorder, Antidepressant, SSRI.