Chaturvedi Mk, Agarwal Pk, Pareek Nk
1980
Citations
1
Influential Citations
4
Citations
Quality indicators
Journal
Indian Journal of Psychiatry
Abstract
A double-blind controlled comparative trial of Dothiepin was carried out in Psychiatric Hospital, for comparing its efficacy with that of Imipramine, in the treatment of depression and also to compare the incidence and severity of side effects of the two drug;. Dothicpin hydrochloride is a tricyclic anti-depressant drug with pharmacological properties common to Imi-pramine Amitryptline and related drugs. Thirty patients of depression of both sexes, were included in the study. Out of these thirty patients 15 were males and 15 were females. The age range was between 30 and 50 years. The diagnostic pattern in these patients revealed that 12 patients had involutional depression, 10 reactive depression and 8 had endogenous depression. Those, having pregnancy, or who have received E.C.T. within the previous 2 months or patients receiving full doses of Prothiadcn or Imipramine before admission to trial, or patients whose pre-trial Hamilton rating score was under 30, were excluded from study. The patients were randomly allocated to treatment with either Dothiepin or Imipramine. The initial daily doses of either drug was one tablet (25 mg) thrice daily and was increased later up to 6 tablets (150 mg), depending upon patient's response. The duration of therapy in all patients was 4 weeks, so as to ensure that the trial remained strictly double-blind. The details of treatment administered are summarised in Table-1. The patients were assessed on the Hamilton rating scale, before treatment, daily in the first week and at the end of 2nd, 3rd and 4th weeks of treatment. Side effects reported by the patients were also recorded. Laboratory investigations comprising haematological and biochemical tests and urine analysis were done before and after therapy. The profile of patients' study is presented in Table 1. Out of 30 patients who have completed treatment, 9 had received previous treatment with anti-depressants, of these 7 had obtained satisfactory response and 2 responded unsatisfactorily. (Table 2).