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A Comparative Trial of Ro 4-6270 and Amitriptyline in Depressive Illness

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 January 2018

Ijaz Haider*
Affiliation:
Department of Child and Family Psychiatry, Playfield House, Cupar, Fife; St. Francis and Hurstwood Park Hospitals, Haywards Heath, Sussex

Extract

Many patients with depressive illness also show considerable anxiety and agitation and often require a tranquillizer in addition to an anti-depressant drug. A new combination—Ro 4-6270 or Limbitrol Forte (Roche)—consisting of amitriptyline 25 mg.+chlordiazepoxide 10 mg. has recently become available for clinical trial. Both amitriptyline and chlordiazepoxide are widely used as an anti-depressant and a tranquillizer respectively. Clinical trials by Harris (1960), Jenner et al. (1961) and Hordern et al. (1963) have confirmed the efficacy of these drugs. Karabanow (1962), Poldinger (1963), Tietzen (1964) and Haider (1967a) have reported the usefulness of the combination of amitriptyline and chlordiazepoxide in depressive states, but none of these studies was adequately controlled. In a previous study (Haider, 1967b) I reported the efficacy of a combination of an anti-depressant and a tranquillizer in improving anxiety and agitation in depressive illness, more than one would expect with an anti-depressant alone. As the combination was compared with a placebo, it was not possible to state with any certainty what was the role of the tranquillizer in improving these symptoms.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1967 

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