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Three commonly prescribed antidepressant medications are equally
effective at treating depression.
The three drugs tested, Paxil (paroxetine), Prozac (fluoxetine)
and Zoloft (sertraline) are all members of a class of drugs called
SSRIs, or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. They battle depression
by acting on the brain chemical serotonin.
The effectiveness of each of the three SSRIs is well documented,
but there has not been enough evidence
to know whether any of the drugs is more effective than the others,
according to researchers.
The results of the study unequivocally demonstrate the lack of
differences among Paxil, Prozac and Zoloft on a wide range of effects.
The three SSRI antidepressants were not only similar in terms of
their effect on depressive symptoms, but also on all the other domains
of functioning and quality of life.
The frequency and types of side effects
were similar in all three groups, as was the rate at which patients
stopped taking the drugs or switched to another type.
Approximately one fifth of the patients switched medication one
or more times during the study. Initial medications assignment had
no significant effect on probability of improvement. Age and anxiety
level did not predict better outcomes with any of the three drugs.
Numerous randomized trials have found no significant difference
in clinical effectiveness between individual SSRI antidepressants
for depression.
Journal of the American Medical
Association December 19, 2001;286:2947-2955,3003-3004
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