Evaluation of double-blind comparison of fluvoxamine and paroxetine in the treatment of depressed outpatients in menopause transition

Abstract

To evaluate the efficacy of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) fluvoxamine and paroxetine in treating depression in the menopausal transition and to compare their efficacy, safety, side-effect profiles and drug compliance. One hundred and five perimenopausal patients (51.3 +/- 2.5 yr of age) were randomly assigned to receive a dosage of 50 mg/day of fluvoxamine (n=53) or 20 mg/day of paroxetine (n=52). The visual analog scale (VAS), Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D) and Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety (HAM-A) scores were evaluated before and after 3 months of therapy in the two groups of women. Significant reduction in HAM-D and HAM-A scores was observed in both groups of women, without significant difference between the two groups. VAS score in the fluvoxamine group (-62.6 +/- 5.2%) was significantly lower than that in the paroxetine group (-51.1 +/- 4.3%) (P < 0.0001). Although fluvoxamine compares favourably with paroxetine in rate of reduction of VAS score, this study suggests that both SSRIs are effective for and tolerated in depressed perimenopausal outpatients.