Combination Treatment for Depression
Ivanhoe Broadcast News
January 04, 2001
Jan. 4, 2001 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Two may be better than one when it comes to overcoming depression resistant to traditional treatment methods. A new study finds a combination of two commonly used anti-depression medications can help this group get relief from their condition.
Richard Shelton, M.D., of Vanderbilt University, and colleagues compared the effectiveness of two different anti-depressants alone and in combination. Their goal was to find out if the two drugs together, fluoxetine (Prozac) and olanzapine (Zyprexa), would be more effective in helping people resistant to other treatments than the two drugs used alone.
Twenty-eight patients with treatment-resistant depression were given either Prozac and a placebo, Zyprexa and a placebo, or the two drugs together. The study continued for eight weeks. Patients were tested using a standard tool to rate the severity of their depression. Researchers found a minimal improvement with Prozac, a modest improvement with Zyprexa, and, compared to either drug alone, a significant improvement with the combination treatment. No negative effects were noted in any of the three groups.
According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, 10 to 30 percent of all cases where the patient is treated for depression, the patient is likely to show partial or total resistance to the drug. Also, there is a risk that the treatment will be effective for a short time before the depression recurs.
Researchers conclude based on the findings of the new study that Prozac and Zyprexa, when used in combination, are more effective than using either drug alone in patients with treatment-resistant depression.
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This news story is not produced by the American Psychological Association and does not necessarily represent the opinions of the association.